《Dimension Unknown》 The Move in It is a calm summer evening. The warm rays of the sun cast a golden glow on the surroundings. The sound of chirping birds fills the air as a car stops in front of an elegant apartment building. Stepping out of the vehicle, a young adult named Droit gets out with his luggage. Droit is a 22-year-old Indian man, standing tall at 6 feet with a slim build. His mid-length, wavy black hair often falls into his deep, thoughtful eyes. Today marks the beginning of his new life in this unfamiliar neighborhood as he moves into his rented flat on the 12th floor of the 14-story building. Droit spends the whole evening setting up and making his new flat feel like home. After arranging the room to his satisfaction, he orders dinner and starts watching TV in his room. The doorbell rang. Droit thinks to himself, "It''s a little early for the food delivery. Let''s see who it is." He walks toward the front door of his flat and looks through the peephole, but to his surprise, there is no one outside. Perplexed, he opens the gate to verify, but once again, there is no sign of anyone. The lifts are still on the ground floor, ruling out the possibility of mistaken delivery. Droit assumes it must have been the neighbor''s kids playing a prank and decides to dismiss it. Just as he settles back into his room, the doorbell rings once more, interrupting his thoughts. Without wasting a moment, Droit rushes towards the main gate. However, once again, there is no one to be found outside. Frustrated, he decides to complain to the neighbors about the mischievous kids, only to discover that all the other flats are locked and seemingly empty. He checks the stairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone hiding, but the stairs remain deserted. A growing sense of unease washes over him as he returns to his flat, closing the door behind him. He casts one final glance through the peephole, but there is nothing to be seen. Suddenly, a skinny and distorted figure crawls across the hall behind him, sending a shiver down Droit''s spine. He instinctively turns to look, but there is no trace of anyone there. Shaking off his apprehension, he retreats to his room, starts watching TV, and tries his best to ignore the strange occurrences unfolding around him. One hour has passed since he placed the food order. Droit opens the food app on his phone and attempts to call the restaurant. However, before the call can connect, a loud plonk noise resonates from the kitchen, as if a utensil has fallen. Curiosity piqued, he quickly makes his way to the kitchen, but upon inspection, he finds everything in its proper place. There are no fallen utensils or any sign of disturbance. A sense of unease lingers as Droit exits the kitchen, and as he turns his gaze toward his bedroom door, he is met with an unsettling sight. There, staring at him is a creature with a pallid complexion. Its big white eyes, adorned with small black pupils, fixate on him. The creature''s mouth bears disconcerting features, with multiple vertical patches of skin connecting its upper and lower lips, creating an eerie and unnatural appearance. Droit stands there, stunned by the terrifying encounter. But in a split second, he gathers his wits and instinctively sprints towards the main door, desperately seeking an escape from the creature. The creature, driven by an unknown force, also darts towards him, its presence sending shivers down his spine. Just as the creature inches closer, Droit manages to reach the door, slamming it shut behind him, cutting off the impending danger. Breathing heavily, he notices the elevator on his floor and realizes that one of his neighbors has returned home. In a panicked state, he shouts, "OPEN!! OPEN THE GATES!!! OPEN THE DOORS!!" Thankfully, a lady inside the apartment opens the door, allowing Droit to quickly seek refuge and secure the entrance. Inside, Droit''s eyes fall upon a man seated on the sofa in the lobby, engrossed in reading the newspaper. The man''s wife joins him, both of them concerned by Droit''s distressed state. Sensing his need for comfort, they kindly offer him a glass of water, hoping to soothe his rattled nerves. Still in shock, Droit stutters as he recounts the harrowing events that transpired in his apartment. He emphasizes the presence of a monstrous entity and urges everyone to contact the police or seek help. To his surprise, the man rises from the sofa, his face filled with reassurance. He moves closer to his wife, and with a calm voice, he assures Droit that there is no monster in his apartment. Droit tries to protest, "No, there is some..." but before he can finish his sentence, the husband interrupts him, saying firmly, "There is no monster in your house. That is our son!" To Droit''s horror, the man and his wife begin to transform into distorted figures, mirroring the appearance of the creature from Droit''s apartment. In a state of shock, he glances into the glass of water, only to find it tainted with blood. Overwhelmed by the surreal and nightmarish scene unfolding before him, Droit musters his courage and swiftly opens the gate, fleeing from their apartment. Suddenly, a troubling thought strikes him¡ªhad he forgotten to lock his own apartment door? Fearful that the creature may be waiting outside, he rushes towards his apartment, only to discover that the door is closed. A sigh of relief escapes him momentarily. In a rush to escape further encounters, Droit opts against using the elevator. The possibility of more creatures emerging from it fills him with dread. Instead, he chooses the stairs as his means of descent. As he descends, the weight of the bizarre events and the overwhelming anxiety take their toll on him. Droit begins to experience a panic attack, his mind racing with thoughts of confusion and terror. Eventually, he finds himself unable to continue and collapses into a corner on the 11th floor, seeking solace in the relative safety of the corner''s embrace. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He gazes up at the stairways leading to the 12th floor, contemplating the absence of pursuers. The question arises in his mind¡ªcould it all be a dream? However, the vividness and intensity of the events make him discard that possibility. He firmly believes that this is indeed reality, causing him to exclaim, "Naah, that was too real to be a dream. This is real! Oh my God, what is happening to me?" *ring ring* As the phone rings, Droit''s heart skips a beat. With trepidation, he answers the call, only to be met with a chilling voice on the other end. The voice commands him to be quiet and warns him that his life depends on his silence. Fear courses through Droit''s veins, causing his voice to tremble as he mutters, "Please, help me..." "How do you know I am in danger? Who are you?" Droit manages to gather the courage to question the mysterious caller, his voice laced with both fear and curiosity. "That doesn''t matter. Just know that you are in another dimension. And it''s not a safe place." The caller''s words send a shiver down Droit''s spine, intensifying the gravity of the situation. His mind struggles to comprehend the notion of being in another dimension, a place fraught with danger. Questions swirl within Droit''s thoughts, but he understands that unraveling the intricacies of his predicament can wait. Survival takes precedence. With a tremor in his voice, he responds, "What do I do? How did I end up here? " "I don''t know why, and there''s no time to tell you how. Listen closely. If you want to survive, always remain calm and conscious of your environment. Also, by now, you must have encountered the Halitusanimus." - Caller "Those creatures are called Halitusanimus?" - Droit "Yes, they can''t see or hear anything." - Caller "They can!"- Droit "No, they are unable to do that. However, they have the ability to sense your breath. If you are in close proximity, they can anticipate your words by detecting the subtle flow of your breath. So, remember to cease breathing when one is nearby. By doing so, you''ll increase your chances of staying safe." - Caller "Okay, that''s valuable information. Thank you." - Droit "Al.. al...s loo.dsf..ack.." "Hello?" "me¡­ sta....sf.fdfd¡­.fgddc¡­" "I can¡¯t hear you. Please repeat." "I don¡¯t ¡­ enough tim.., make sur.. to always ..heck .ou.. BACK!! " *Phone disconnects.* "Back? What was he trying to convey?" A chilling chewing sound emanates from the tenth floor. Droit, with bated breath, cautiously approaches to investigate its source. There, he witnesses a haunting sight¡ªa nude woman seated beside a lifeless body. Calling out to her softly, he edges closer, but she remains unresponsive. As he draws nearer, horror grips him as he beholds her feasting upon the corpse with bare hands. Overwhelmed by terror, Droit crumples to the floor, scrambling away until his back finds solace against the cold wall. The woman, not of human origin, bears a visage that sends shivers down Droit''s spine. Her face bears a grotesque, wide grin stretching from ear to ear, revealing rows of menacing, pointed teeth. Where her eyes should be, a sinister, horizontal line replaces them. Her skin, a sickly pale brown, contrasts against her long, flowing black hair that cascades down to her lower back. Droit observes with trepidation that the lady remains motionless, frozen in an eerie stillness. She neither chews nor moves her hands, suspended in mid-air with the flesh of the lifeless body. It''s as if time itself has come to a halt for her. Sensing the urgency to distance himself, Droit musters the courage to stand and retreat. However, as he continues walking, a disturbing sound, reminiscent of someone licking an object, reaches his ears. Instinctively, he turns his gaze back, only to find the lady''s head twisted towards him, mouth agape, with blood dripping from her menacing, pointed teeth. The Stalker lady After catching sight of the lady''s bloodied mouth, Droit wastes no time in fleeing down the stairs. Each floor requires navigating two sets of stairs, and as he descends to the tenth floor, he can''t resist stealing a glance behind him. Surprisingly, the lady remains frozen at the entrance, like a statue in a haunted house. Droit''s curiosity gets the better of him. Why isn''t she chasing him? Is she on a snack break or something? Then it hits him¡ªthose words from the mysterious caller echo in his mind: "Always check your back!" It dawns on him that as long as he faces her, she can''t move a muscle. It''s like some bizarre game of freeze tag. With newfound confidence, Droit takes a step back, keeping his eyes locked on the eerie lady. To his relief, she stays put, as if trapped in a supernatural time-out. It''s like he has discovered her kryptonite¡ªa simple rule to survive this twisted dimension¡ªnever turn your back on the creepy creatures lurking in the shadows. Feeling a mix of relief and curiosity, Droit continues his descent, marveling at the strange rules of this unpredictable world. Little does he know that more surprises await him just around the corner. Feeling a mix of relief and curiosity, Droit continues his descent, marveling at the strange rules of this unpredictable world. Little did he know that more surprises awaited him just around the corner. As Droit observes the frozen lady, a sense of relief washes over him. He takes a deep breath and covers his eyes with his trembling hands, hoping to release some of the built-up tension. With a momentary respite, he slowly removes his hands from his face, expecting to find her still frozen in place. But what he sees makes him pee in his pants. Right before him, the lady''s grotesque mouth is poised inches away from his face, ready to sink its teeth into his flesh. Droit''s eyes widen, and a scream catches in his throat. He can see every horrifying detail inside her mouth, a sight that sears into his memory. In that heart-stopping moment, Droit realizes the truth¡ªit has nothing to do with his back. The lady can''t move when someone has their eyes on her. It is the act of watching, of maintaining unwavering eye contact, that keeps her at bay. Blinking is not an option when she draws near. The realization hits Droit like a ton of bricks, intensifying his fear. He can''t even blink, let alone turn away, or she will seize the opportunity to strike. Every fiber of his being screams at him to maintain his gaze, to keep his eyes locked with hers, no matter how unsettling it feels. In this twisted dimension, his survival hinges on his ability to stare down the horrors that lurk in the shadows. Trembling, Droit summons every ounce of his willpower and musters the strength to hold his gaze, his eyes burning, while his mind races for a way out. The game has changed, and he needs to adapt quickly if he wants to escape this nightmare alive. Droit continues his descent down the stairs, his gaze fixed on the lady as she remains within his sight. With each blink, he senses her insidious presence drawing nearer, inch by unnerving inch. The weight of the situation hangs heavy on his shoulders, amplifying his anxiety. As he reaches the 9th-floor stairs, the lady disappears from his line of sight. A shiver runs down his spine, for now, she can roam freely in the upper floors, lurking in the shadows beyond his field of vision. The uncertainty of her whereabouts fills him with unease, a constant reminder that danger may be lurking just out of sight. Undeterred, Droit continues his descent, his heart pounding with each step. Midway down, a surge of apprehension compels him to halt. He closes his eyes, in a desperate attempt to confirm if she is still trailing behind him. Moments pass, tension gripping his entire being. With a hesitant breath, he opens his eyes, relieved to find the lady''s absence. Seizing this brief respite, Droit allows himself a moment to catch his breath. He finds a spot on the 9th-floor stairs and carefully positions himself with his back against the wall. This strategic move grants him a vantage point to survey his surroundings, ensuring he can swiftly detect any signs of her return. Droit realizes that he has wet his pants for the first time since kindergarten. Memories of his school days and cherished friends flood his thoughts, intensifying his longing for their presence. Determined not to lose hope, he resolves to find a way out of this nightmarish place. Rising to his feet, he places his hands on his waist and stretches his body, trying to ease his tension. But as he leans back, his gaze lands on the ceiling, where the lady hovers directly above him, her gaze fixed upon him. Despite lacking eyes, Droit can sense her intense stare, sending a shiver down his spine, further fueling his sense of dread. The sight of her long, red tongue protruding from her mouth only adds to his growing unease. Fixing his intense gaze on the lady, Droit''s laughter takes on a menacing tone, his eyes straining to stay locked on her. After a moment, his laughter subsides, and he resorts to blinking, hoping to lure her closer. Inch by inch, her face draws near, and seizing the opportunity, Droit unleashes a powerful punch. To his dismay, the lady remains unaffected, and the impact only results in pain radiating through his own hand. Droit''s voice echoes through the empty corridor as he shouts, "You, BITCH!! Just leave me alone." Tears stream down his face, blurring his vision, but he refuses to let fear overcome him. Determinedly, he continues his descent, his eyes burning from the strain of constant crying, yet he pushes on without stopping or blinking. Reaching the 8th-floor lobby, Droit''s gaze falls upon two apartments lacking any locks. Without wasting a moment, Droit swings open the nearest door and steps inside, keeping his back facing the entrance. As he enters, his eyes catch sight of someone already present in the room, and he swiftly turns around to get a better look. A man sits calmly in a sofa chair, seemingly unaware of the imminent danger. With a sense of urgency, Droit tries to warn the man about the approaching threat, but before he can utter a word, the lady strikes from behind. Droit is caught off guard, losing his balance and crashing to the floor. In pain and distress, he desperately cries out for help, hoping the man in the room will come to his aid. The man''s gaze shifts toward the attacking lady. With a calm and collected demeanor, he swiftly intervenes, halting her mid-attack. It becomes evident that this man possesses knowledge of how to restrain her. Seated in an intriguing pose, facing sideways with only his left side revealed, the man emanates an aura of intrigue. He appears to be around 30 years old, with his short black hair adding to his enigmatic charm. His captivating green eyes exude wisdom and experience. Dressed in a polished brown suit, he holds a glass of whisky in his right hand, maintaining a sense of poise amidst the tumultuous situation. The man: "Hey there." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Droit: "Help!" The man: "What do you think I am doing right now? Get up already. And close the door." Droit gets up and looks behind at the lady. Droit: "You know about her?" The man: "Well, yes. I also know how to get rid of her." Droit: "Tell me." The man: "If I were to tell you, it would be reluctantly, as she would also become aware. But take her to the last room, and I think you will know what to do. And if not, then it was nice talking to someone, even if it was for a little bit." Droit: "Could you help me and come with me to the room?" The man: "Believe me, if I could, I would. But this is something you have to do on your own." Droit: "Okay." Droit takes the lady to the room, blinking rapidly. They pass by the man, who keeps his eyes closed to allow the lady to move freely. The bedroom is simple, with a TV in front, a bed in the rear, and an almirah (wardrobe) on the right. On the left, there is a gate leading to the bathroom. Droit explores the room, relying on his peripheral vision to understand its layout. He sits on the bed and begins to devise a plan to stop the lady. The idea of locking her inside the almirah crosses his mind, but he realizes it''s not feasible. After pondering for a while, a new idea strikes him. He decides to turn the entire room into a makeshift almirah and lock her inside. Carefully, he locks her in the room and steps out. *Snap* Fear overtakes Droit once again as the lady''s hand breaks through the gate, relentlessly smashing it. It''s clear that a flimsy gate won''t hold her back. Droit rushes back into the room, racking his brain for a new plan to get rid of her. But time ticks away, and his unease grows. It''s been over an hour now, and nature calls. He''s got to pee. As Droit enters the washroom, he notices someone standing on his right side and looks at them in confusion. To his relief, he realizes it''s just a big mirror on the wall, not a person. However, at the same time, the lady clenches her teeth around Droit''s right shoulder, biting deep into his flesh, causing intense pain. He gazes at the lady and manages to halt her attack. A wave of sadness washes over Droit as he realizes that this might be his final moment. He understands that she has him trapped. With each passing minute, he struggles to keep his eyes wide open, knowing that if he dares to close them, it will spell his ultimate defeat. Even if he tries to flee, he senses that she will inevitably catch up to him. The stakes are high, and the mere act of closing his eyes could result in his ultimate demise. In a moment of desperation, just before surrendering to his fate, Droit finds a glimmer of hope. A plan forms in his mind, and with a surge of determination, he frees his shoulder from the lady''s grip. Taking a strategic position between her and the mirror, he closes his eyes tightly, bracing himself for what comes next. Counting silently, he waits for a full two seconds, and then with a sense of anticipation, he slowly opens his eyes and smiles. To his astonishment, he witnesses a remarkable sight in the reflection of the mirror. The lady, trapped within her own reflection, appears immobilized. The once-sealed horizontal line on her forehead is now ajar, revealing an empty void. No trace of her terrifying presence can be seen inside, only a trickle of blood seeping out. It is a moment of triumph for Droit, as he realizes that he has discovered a way to confine the lady within her own reflection, rendering her powerless. Relieved and overjoyed by his victory, Droit averts his gaze from her, relieves himself in the toilet, and exits the room. The Good and The Evil Droit approached the man in the hallway and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Hey man, thank you for the hint. I have trapped her with the mirror inside your bathroom." The man looked up, a smile adorning his face. However, as Droit glanced at the man''s visage, his smile turned into tears. "No! No! No! No! No!" Droit screamed. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" the man laughed, his left side horribly disfigured with red-black burn marks and deep wounds revealing bone on his face. "Do you know how long it has been since I last tortured a human?" the man inquired. Droit remained silent. "Two hours! Can you fathom the agony of waiting that long? I was starting to go CRAZYYY!" the man exclaimed. A room illuminated before Droit, revealing a blood-drenched body sprawled on the floor within. "But you helped me. Please, let me go. Please," Droit pleaded. "Well, did I stop you?" the man retorted. Droit eased up and turned toward the exit, but the man grabbed his hand from behind. "Please, let me go," Droit implored, tears streaming down his eyes. "Cry, baby, cry. You were fooling around, and now you''re trapped in the realm of hell with no way out," the man sneered. "Please..." Droit''s voice trailed off as he lost consciousness. After some time, Droit regained consciousness, only to find himself chained to a wall in the same room where the lifeless body had been. The space had been tidied up, and the man was nowhere to be seen. Droit struggled to break free from the chains but found himself unsuccessful. "Chunk chunk wishhhshshshss" The sound of a flush emanated from the bathroom, and the man emerged, brimming with delight and energy. His appearance was peculiar, split between a human right side and a devilish left side. "How are you? Is everything good? Comfortable?" the man asked. "Please, let me go. I''ll do anything," Droit pleaded. "Anything?" the man questioned. "Yes!". "Are you sure?" the man probed. "Yes, please! I swear I''ll do anything. Just let me go," Droit begged. "Okay, then. Let me torture you. I''ll torture you oh so peacefully and get to witness my favorite color. I''ll torture you to death, and then you''ll be free on your own," the man declared. Droit was left speechless. A briefcase on the table caught his attention, containing surgical tools. "This is for you, or rather, for us," the man stated. "Please, don''t," Droit pleaded, tears streaming down his face. The man took a small knife from the briefcase and slowly ran it across Droit''s right cheek. "Ah, the fun! The adrenaline. Can you feel it?" the man remarked. He returned the small knife and retrieved a larger one, slashing Droit''s chest from left to right. Blood began to flow, and Droit screamed in agony, while the man reveled in sadistic pleasure. "Isn''t this fun? Why are you crying? We''re having fun! Why are you crying?" the man taunted. "Why did you help me?" Droit managed to ask through his tears. "Because you are my prey, not Caulisera''s," the man responded. "That was all an act?" Droit questioned. "SHUT UP!" the man shouted, delivering a barrage of punches to Droit. "Shhhhhhhhhh, take it easy now," the man tells himself, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Sorry for what I''ve done. Silly me. We''re just getting started. It''s too soon to end this," the man mutters to himself, his voice tinged with disturbing excitement. Droit attempts to speak, but the man swiftly places a finger on his lips, signaling him to remain silent and enjoy the torment. Droit, tears streaming down his face, can''t help but cry relentlessly. "Why are you still crying? Okay, I''ll set you free, but on one condition. You must remain completely silent throughout the next round of torture. No crying, no sound¡ªabsolute silence. Do you accept?" the man sneers, his sadistic grin widening. "Please, just let me go," Droit pleads . "Taking that as a ''yes.'' Alright, let''s proceed," the man responds coldly, preparing to inflict further pain. He starts by piercing a knife into Droit''s shoulder, causing an initial scream before Droit suppresses his cries, enduring the agony silently. The man''s next action intensifies the horror as he inserts his finger into the wound, then proceeds to peel Droit''s skin, methodically stripping it off all the way to his elbow. Droit''s screams pierce the air, but he forces himself to silence as per the agreement. "No more, please let me go, or just kill me," Droit pleads in a broken voice. "Okay, time for round three. This method is rather amusing. Let''s continue for a while," the man taunts, callously ignoring Droit''s pleas. As Droit closes his eyes, he reflects on the events since entering the flat, desperately searching for a clue that might explain the man''s transformation. He wonders if there''s something that triggered the change in the man, who used to be good. Meanwhile, the man, Alnik, continues peeling off Droit''s skin piece by piece, reveling in each anguished scream. "Hmm, I''m getting bored. What should I do next?" Alnik ponders aloud, taking a momentary break to sit down on a chair. "So, you''re unaware." "There isn''t a single thing I''m unaware of." "Well, you seem to be missing one important detail: your own name. You don''t even know your own name." Alnik rises to his feet and swiftly slashes the knife across Droit''s face, causing significant damage to his left eye. After losing his eye, Droit shouts, "Tell me your damn name, you despicable jerk!" Alnik momentarily freezes, then responds with a smirk, "Melnik." "Let me speak to Melnik, please," Droit pleads, hope flickering in his eyes. "That''s not possible. Melnik is gone. And why would I allow that?" Alnik responds his sadistic nature firmly in control. "Because it wouldn''t harm you, and I believe you love a good challenge," Droit persists, desperately seeking a way to reach the part of Melnik that remains. "Shut up! You don''t know what challenges me," Alnik retorts. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Melnik!" Droit exclaims, summoning all his willpower. Alnik''s facade momentarily wavers as he grapples with the call to his other side. In that vulnerable moment, Droit seizes the opportunity and spits directly into Alnik''s left eye. As Alnik instinctively turns to face the assault, his previously concealed devilish face is replaced by Melnik''s good side, completely hiding the sinister expression. In this critical moment, Droit weakly mutters, "Melnik, help," before succumbing to unconsciousness. "Wake up, wake up, buddy," Melnik''s voice calls out, pulling Droit back to consciousness. To his astonishment, Droit finds Melnik sitting in front of him, and his injuries have miraculously healed. "My eye? My wounds? I''m okay! How?" Droit exclaims. "Well, I did that, but you don''t need to thank me since I was the one who caused you pain in the first place," Melnik responds a tinge of remorse in his voice. "Thank you, Melnik. I knew you were still there. It wasn''t you; it was Alnik," Droit expresses his gratitude. "Well, yes and no. He''s not a separate person within me. He''s a part of me¡ªa dark side. We share the same memories. It''s complicated," Melnik explains, hinting at the complexity of their intertwined existence. "So, you can become Alnik whenever you want?" Droit inquires. "Yes, but only when I allow it. And the same goes for him. I can come out only if he permits," Melnik clarifies. "So, he let you out to save me?" Droit probes further. "Haha, no. He''s not that good," Melnik chuckles wryly. "That good? He''s the worst," Droit remarks, still trying to comprehend the intricate dynamics between Melnik and Alnik. "Actually, there''s another way to call us forth. You need to address us by our depicted side. Mine is the right side, and his is the left," Melnik elaborates. "So, I was right?" Droit asks, a glimmer of satisfaction in his voice. "Yes, you''re smart. You called me when my right side face was visible to you. That''s how I managed to come out and save you," Melnik confirms, commending Droit''s astuteness. "Can you heal?" Droit wonders. "Indeed, it''s quite amusing, considering our inherent natures. While he destroys, I am the one who constructs," Melnik explains, shedding light on their contrasting abilities. Droit''s mind drifts back to the encounter with Melnik before everything changed. In his imagination, he envisions Melnik seated, only revealing half of his face¡ªthe good side. Drawing strength from this memory, Droit defiantly spits out the question that has haunted him, "By the way, when you helped me earlier, why was Alnik present instead of you?" "Oh, that''s because there''s another way for us to emerge. If one of us is unconscious, the other can take control. At that time, he was so intoxicated that he couldn''t remain conscious," Melnik discloses, shedding light on their shifting states. "So, when one of you falls asleep, the other can wake up?" Droit probes further. "No, no, sleep is different. Think of it this way¡ªyou choose to sleep, but blackout occurs unknowingly. It''s hard to explain, but I can assure you, my slumber is for your safety," Melnik clarifies. "Okay, I guess there''s not much I can do about it," Droit concedes. Melnik smiles warmly, acknowledging Droit''s acceptance. "Alright, where are we?" Droit asks, trying to orient himself. "We''re in my home¡ªor jail, you could say," Melnik reveals. "What does that mean?" Droit inquires, puzzled. "Well, you entered through the front door of the flat, right?" Melnik asks. "Yes," Droit confirms. "And you have already been to other flats in this building?" Melnik asked. "Yes. Why?" Droit replied. "Haven''t you noticed any difference in the flats?" Melnik questioned, hinting at something more. Droit glanced around the flat and was taken aback. This flat was unlike any he had seen before, and not only that, the flat across from his own was different as well. "Damn, yes! All the flats are different, not just in design or structure, but in size too. How is that possible?" Droit exclaimed, bewildered by the discovery. "Well, the flats you''re referring to exist in different dimensions. The hallway is where they all connect," Melnik explained. "And what''s outside the building?" Droit inquired. "I don''t know. I''ve never been outside," Melnik admitted. "Why not?" Droit pressed further. "It''s not easy," Melnik responded cryptically. "Not even for Alnik?" Droit asked, thinking that perhaps Alnik''s fearless nature would allow him to venture outside. "He doesn''t want to leave. He enjoys playing with other creatures in the hallways," Melnik explained. "Man, he is scary," Droit remarked, recalling the horrors he had endured. "Yeah," Melnik agreed, acknowledging Alnik''s terrifying presence. "Do you know how I can go back to my home? My world?" Droit asked, longing for his familiar life. "Sorry, but the answer probably lies outside this building," Melnik confessed. "Hmm, yeah. I need to get out of here," Droit affirmed, determined to find a way back to his own world. "Best of luck," Melnik wished him sincerely. "Wanna come?" Droit offered. "Nah, it''s too risky," Melnik declined, aware of the dangers that awaited them outside. "But you have Alnik. He will protect you," Droit reasoned, knowing that Alnik''s ferocity could be an advantage. "Alnik will not only protect me but also bring me back here and probably harm or kill you," Melnik warned, mindful of the consequences. "Yeah, I forgot about that. He loved hurting me," Droit admitted, remembering the sadistic nature of Alnik. "Exactly. It''s a waste. If you want to die, do it on your own," Melnik cautioned. "Hmm," Droit pondered, realizing the truth in Melnik''s words. "Or you could stay here with me. Just chill. I''ve got plenty to eat, drink, and smoke," Melnik offered, trying to tempt Droit into staying. "No, I need to get out. I would rather die than live like this. I want to see my family and friends again. I want to live and experience life. I can''t waste my life away in this hell. I''m getting out, and I can''t do it alone. So, you''re coming with me," Droit declared, his determination unwavering. "You''ll die by my hands, I''m telling you," Melnik warned once again. "I accept that. I have no problem with that. But if we get out of here, we will be free and able to return to our worlds," Droit reaffirmed, resolute in his decision. "Let''s rest for a bit and eat until our bellies are full," Melnik suggested, acknowledging the need for strength and nourishment. "So, you''re coming?" Droit asked, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, yeah, I''m getting bored here anyway," Melnik relented, realizing that the monotony of their existence had grown tiresome. "Cool! High five!" Droit exclaimed, raising his hand for a celebratory gesture. They high-fived each other, sealing their pact. After enjoying a satisfying meal and taking some time to rest, they felt ready to venture out from the confines of the flat and into the mysterious hallways, embarking on their journey toward freedom. The Dreams Melnik and Droit step out of the apartment when they hear a scream from below. Droit asks if they should go help, but Melnik says it''s unnecessary since they''ll have to return upstairs anyway. "Why would we come back up?" - Droit "To collect the keys!" - Melnik "What keys?" - Droit "Oh yeah, I haven''t told you about the keys yet. Sorry, my bad." - Melnik Melnik leaned in a sense of urgency in his voice and began to explain the predicament. "See," he said, "the main exit is down on the ground floor, but it''s not as simple as just making a run for it. There''s a lock, a special one, and it''s guarded by seven keys. Without those seven keys, there''s no way out of this building." "And where are we going to get these keys from?" - Droit "We already have 2 of them. One at least." - Melnik "How?" - Droit "Well, they are the keys to our flats." - Melnik Droit pulls his flat key out from his pocket. "This key?" - Droit "YES! So we have two keys. One from you and one from me. That leaves five more keys." - Melnik "And where are we going to get these five more keys?" - Droit "Where do you think?" - Melnik "You don''t mean." - Droit "Yes, I do." - Melnik "Well, We''ll die." - Droit "Yeah, but you were ready to die to get out of here, remember?" - Melnik "Darn, So we are going to five more flats knowing well enough that there are deadly creatures in them." - Droit "Five dimensions, to be exact. Isn''t it fun?" - Melnik "No, not at all. So at least you know which rooms are the easiest?" - Droit "Haha, no. I have no idea." - Melnik "But you went out before, remember?" - Droit "Yeah, but without the keys, that''s how I know that the keys are necessary." - Melnik "Okay. But what about that scream from down there?" - Droit "Well, whoever it was, they died or are safe. Otherwise, we would''ve had another scream by now." - Melnik "HELP!!!" Another desperate scream echoed from below, and the sound seemed to be drawing nearer. Without a moment''s hesitation, Droit bolted toward the staircase with Melnik hot on his heels. As Droit peered down from the stairs, his heart pounded in his chest. Two frightened boys were sprinting upwards, fear etched across their faces. In relentless pursuit behind them was the ominous stalker lady, her intentions unknown. Droit shouted urgently, "Quick, come up here!" Both of them look at him and run towards him. "Thanks!" said both of the boys. Droit, without taking his eyes off the lady, asks if they are okay and not hurt. "We are okay. Thanks for the help." "No worries. I''m Droit, and this is Melnik, my friend." - Droit "I''m Dan, and this is Russ. Nice to meet you. Why are you looking down at the monster? Shouldn''t we be running from it?" - Dan "It''s not chasing us anymore; look." - Droit "Yeah," says Russ. Melnik, at this point, removes a small mirror from his coat pocket and places it in the stairway facing towards the lady. He then tells Droit that he can look away now. "Wow, you came prepared," Droit said, pleased with Melnik''s quick thinking. "Well, duh," Melnik replied. "Can anyone tell us what is happening here?" the boys ask. To which Droit answers, "You see, that creature lady can''t move if someone is looking at her. And Melnik here put a mirror out so that if she comes up, she would be frozen. Because now she would gaze at her reflection in the mirror. It''s that simple." "It''s not simple," Dan said tearfully. He then sat on the ground, crying, and thanked Melnik and Droit for saving him and his friend''s life. "It''s okay. How long have you been here?" asks Droit. "We just moved into the building today. As we were unpacking our stuff, we saw a giant lizard-like creature trying to get in from our balcony. We ran out of the flat and ran into that lady thing," said Dan. "So you moved in today too? Me too. This building sucks, right?" - Droit "Yeah, it really does suck. We cleared so much snow from the road to get to this lousy building. And for what?" - Dan "Yeah, you''re right! Wait, snow?" - Droit "Yeah, you moved in today too? Wasn''t it hard with all the snow?" - Dan "Dude, it''s June. Why would there be snow out there?" - Droit "What are you talking about? It''s December." - Dan "No, it''s June, I am sure," Droit removes his phone from his pocket and checks the date, which displays the 13th of June. Which Dan removes his phone, showing that today is the 26th of December on his phone. "As I have told you before, Droit," Melnik says, "It is another dimension where Time and Date are not a thing. It''s always the same. There is no concept of time here." "FUCK!!" says Droit. After this, Melnik fills Dan and Russ in on all the information they have, including the keys and the two creatures they have encountered so far (the stalker lady and Halitusanimus, the breath-reading creature). Upon hearing about the Keys, Dan informs them that their flat key is in their flat, specifically in Number 303 on the Third Floor. "So, if we retrieve Dan and Russ''s key, we will have a total of three keys. Meaning we now have to get four more keys to get out," explains Droit to everyone. "Yeah, let''s get one on the floor below," says Melnik. Melnik collects his mirror, and they all enter the 7th Floor. "Which room should we enter?" Melnik asks. "They all look the same to me," Russ replies. "I think we should not waste any time because The Stalker lady can be back, so let''s enter any room," Dan suggests. They all agree and enter the first room, Numbered 701. As they step into the flat, they are surprised by how spacious it is. It feels more like a house than an apartment. A large hall greets them, with a staircase leading to the upper floor. On their right, two doors indicate two rooms. On their left, another door leads to a storage room, and next to it, a kitchen. They can see the metal railings of the first floor from the hall, giving it an open and airy feel. The house is silent and empty as if no one has lived there for a long time. "Sweet house!" - Russ "The house is sweet, but we don''t know what kind of problem it contains." - Melnik "I''m hungry. Do you want to check the kitchen?" - Russ They all say no. "Oh, come on! I can''t go to the kitchen alone. And hey, the key might be in the kitchen." - Russ "Yeah, right! What are the chances of that? Well, it''s cool, I''ll go with you. I need some water anyway." - Dan "Cool, you guys take the ground floor, and we''ll check the first floor until then." - Droit. They walk into the kitchen, which is spotless and filled with food. Dan heads to the fridge, hoping to find something to drink. Russ rummages through the drawers, searching for the keys that might unlock their way out. Dan opens the fridge and grabs a water bottle. "Hey, it has some sandwiches. They look okay. Do you want one?" - Dan "Yeah, sure." - Russ "Also, there is some cake and cola. Oh, it has ice cream too. Who lives here?" - Dan Dan turns around after closing the fridge and freezes in horror. A strange woman is looming over Russ, ready to snatch him by the neck. Dan shouts, "Russ, run!" But it''s too late. The woman clutches Russ in her grip. She looks like a witch from a cheesy 90s TV show. Her hair is white, her skin is pale and wrinkled, and her mouth is toothless. Her eyes are lifeless, and her pupils are grey. She wears a ragged robe. She grins at Dan and cackles. Her cackle terrifies him. She says, "Stay put, I''ll be back for you," and starts dragging Russ out of the kitchen. Dan tries to stop her, but as soon as he runs toward them, she opens her mouth and shrieks at him. This time, her teeth are dripping with blood, long and pointed. Dan stops abruptly, shouting Droit''s and Melnik''s names. Droit and Melnik hear him and rush downstairs. Unfortunately, by the time they reach the kitchen, the Witch and Russ have disappeared. Dan proceeds to explain everything that happened to them. "Do you know what it was?" Droit asks Melnik. "Nope, I don''t. It''s the first time I''ve heard about this witch." - Melnik. "I don''t know what she was either, but she sure as hell looked like one." - Dan "We need to start looking for Russ." - Droit. "Okay, let''s divide into two groups. One is only me, and the other is you two. Let''s check two rooms at a time and meet back in the hall." - Melnik. Melnik enters the first room on the ground floor, while Droit and Dan head to the second room. After a thorough search yields no results, they return to the hall and patiently wait for Melnik, who seems to be taking his time. They speculate that he might be meticulously examining the room for concealed compartments or secret passageways. Dan''s gaze turns upward towards the first-floor railing, where the Witch stands, wearing a chilling smile as she observes them. Dan alerts Droit to her presence, prompting Droit to scream for Melnik. However, before Melnik can arrive, the Witch begins descending the stairs, her laughter echoing through the air. Her laughter carries a deep, resonating pitch. Panic seizes Dan and Droit as they attempt to flee, but confusion hampers their ability to discern an escape route. In a matter of seconds, the Witch reaches the ground floor, hurtling towards them with her hands outstretched. Just as she''s about to make contact, Melnik emerges from the room and swiftly incapacitates her, timing his action perfectly. The Witch collapses on the floor. Melnik approaches her, gripping her collar and raising her up. However, the Witch seizes the opportunity to whisper something to Melnik. After hearing her words, Melnik suddenly loses consciousness, collapsing to the ground. The Witch grins at Dan and Droit. In a desperate attempt, Droit tries to strike her, but she effortlessly throws him aside. Then, she seizes Dan, carrying him towards the storage room. Droit''s attempts to awaken Melnik prove futile, as he remains under a mysterious spell, sound asleep. Determined to save Dan, Droit resolves to enter the storage room alone. Inside the storage room, Droit finds Dan lying on a cot, with the Witch''s hand placed on his forehead. Both the Witch and Dan appear entranced, as if she''s drawing energy from him. Behind them, Russ lies unconscious, mirroring Melnik''s state. Acting swiftly, Droit charges at the Witch, headbutting her forcefully. The impact sends her sprawling away from Dan, severing the link between them. As the connection breaks, a small surge of energy passes from Dan into Droit¡ªan untainted, pure essence of fear. Overwhelmed, Droit begins trembling uncontrollably, unable to withstand the sheer intensity of the fear. He collapses onto the ground. Dan regains consciousness and pulls Droit out of the storage room. They leave the Witch behind, observing her from the ground as they make their escape. It becomes evident that she, too, has suffered some adverse effects from the disconnection. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Dan leads Droit to a small gap under the stairs, where Droit''s chattering teeth and uneven breathing betray his overwhelming fear. Dan tries to calm him down and emphasizes the need for silence. Left alone with no immediate plan, Dan ponders their dire situation. After a few minutes, he reaches a decision¡ªsince they may face death anyway, he resolves to at least attempt to physically harm the witch. Peeking outside the stairs and finding the hall empty, Dan decides to retrieve a knife from the kitchen, intending to confront and potentially kill the witch with it. Droit, now slightly recovered from his fear, advises against leaving, but Dan is determined to take action. "It can''t be that easy." - Droit. "I know, but we don''t have any other option." - Dan "I''m coming with you." - Droit. "No, if I don''t come back in five minutes, you can then do whatever you want. But right now, you are in no condition to walk." - Dan Dan heads to the kitchen while Droit stays behind, offering prayers for his safety. It has only been a minute since Dan left. Wide-eyed, Droit stares at the wall, eagerly awaiting Dan''s return. Unbeknownst to him, the witch appears above him on the stairs, placing her hands on his cheeks and turning his face towards her. The sight of her causes Droit to faint instantly. Droit awakens to find himself in the comfort of his own room at home. It''s approximately 7 PM, and he realizes that everything he experienced was just a vivid dream. Eager to confirm the reality of his surroundings, he rushes downstairs to find his parents in the hall. However, upon seeing them, he retreats back to his room, reflecting on the nightmarish nature of his dream. At 8 PM, Droit''s friend arrives at his house, bringing beer along. They ascend to the roof and begin enjoying their drinks. Droit recounts the entire dream to his friend, who listens attentively, treating it like an intriguing story. Standing near the terrace railing, they engage in conversation, with the pack of beer positioned at the entrance of the roof. They finish their first beer, and Droit asks his friend if he wants another round, to which he gladly agrees. "Cool, I''ll get it." - Droit. Droit goes to the door, picks up two bottles, and turns towards the entrance but freezes in horror. Instead of his friend, he is met with the menacing presence of the witch. A twisted smile spreads across her face as she swiftly lunges towards him, gripping his cheeks tightly. Droit''s pleas for help go unheard as she begins to drain his fear. Overwhelmed, he faints once more, losing consciousness. When Droit awakens again, he finds himself seated at the food court of his local mall. His friends are present, indicating that he had dozed off while waiting for their food to arrive. Droit senses that something is amiss. A dark aura lingers in the air, unsettling his instincts. He realizes he''s trapped in a dream and stands up, searching for the witch. Despite running around the food court, she remains nowhere to be found. He is still very sure that she will show up. His friends approach him, asking what''s wrong, but Droit ignores them as he believes they''re not real. When one friend touches him, Droit pushes him away. In response, the friend pushes him back, leading Droit to throw a punch. He receives a punch to the face and a kick to the stomach in return. Their other friends step in and restrain Droit, holding him down. Three people now have him immobilized. Understanding his predicament, Droit mutters, "Fine, you can come out now. I''m under your control." Yet, nothing happens in response to his words. After calming down, Droit''s friends release him, and he proceeds toward the bathroom as he needs to pee. Despite feeling angry and scared, he anticipates the witch''s sudden appearance. Approaching the restroom, he hesitates, slightly afraid that it may be the perfect spot for the witch to catch him off guard. Near the restroom, Droit''s attention is drawn to a fire exit door. Noticing the glass panel, he catches a glimpse of the witch''s face, adorned with a haunting smile. The door swings open, and panic sets in as Droit instinctively turns to run. However, his escape is short-lived, for the witch swiftly catches up to him, draining his energy once more. Droit wakes up on his terrace, where he had been napping under the winter sun. Fear holds him back from turning around or getting up. Overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, he begins to cry, paralyzed by his intense fear and uncertainty. After a brief pause, Droit musters the courage to turn towards his left side. To his surprise, he finds the witch lying beside him, wearing a wicked smile. Before the witch can make a move, Droit abruptly finds himself back in the storage room. The witch holds him in one hand while battling Dan with the other. Reacting swiftly, Droit kicks the witch away and rushes towards Dan, ready to join the fight. The witch appears weakened, reminiscent of their previous encounter. It becomes evident that interrupting the energy transfer weakens her powers. Droit leans in close to Dan, whispering something and requesting to be left alone with the witch. However, Dan disagrees, expressing his opposition to the idea. "We don''t have any other way. This is the only way. We have to try it." - Droit. "Okay, then let me do it." - Dan "No, I can''t let you do it. Besides, you seem to have more power than me to fulfill the task." - Droit. Dan agrees and quickly runs away from the storage. Droit pretends to be injured, lying on the ground. The witch, furious, grabs Droit by the neck and plunges him back into the dream. When Droit wakes up, he sits and closes his eyes, as if meditating. After a short while, he opens his eyes, only to find the witch standing right in front of him. The witch firmly holds Droit''s face, feeding on his energy once again. Droit screams in agony, struggling to grab her hand, but his efforts are futile against her overpowering strength. To Droit, it feels like this is the last time she is doing this, and after this, he''ll die. Memories of his past life flash before his eyes¡ªhis first dog, his friends, his crush, and the faces of his parents. He becomes consumed by the worry of leaving his aging parents without anyone to take care of them. A wave of weakness washes over him, intensifying his concerns for his parents'' future if he doesn''t survive. With an intense surge of rage, Droit''s hand reaches out and tightly grips the witch''s face, while his voice echoes through the air in a fierce scream. Startled and afraid, the witch struggles to break free, but Droit''s hold only grows stronger. In the real world, Dan rushes towards them, wielding an axe. The witch, helpless and unable to escape, watches as Dan delivers a decisive blow, severing her head from her body. Droit''s senses return, finally liberated from the witch''s clutches. Droit''s rage surges as he relentlessly kicks the witch''s lifeless body. Melnik, now awake, swiftly rushes to his side, halting his violent outburst. Embracing Droit, Melnik holds him close, providing solace and comfort. Overwhelmed by emotions, Droit begins to cry and eventually falls into a deep sleep. Melnik gently places him on the sofa, then proceeds to search the witch''s body, finding the keys tucked away in her pocket. Dan wakes up Russ, who recalls his nightmares and becomes even more scared when he sees the witch''s severed head in front of him. Droit wakes up after some time and urgently tells Melnik to leave the house and go to the next one. He is eager to escape from the building as quickly as possible. The Father After finding the third key, they decided to go down and enter a new dimension. Dan asked, "What should we do about the stalker lady?" Melnik suggested, "Let''s form a circle facing outward, so we can watch all directions." Droit checked outside for safety and found an empty corridor. They moved out and stood back-to-back. They entered the stairway, ready to explore. The area was filled with a thick, dark green atmosphere. Each floor''s entrance had only one hanging light. They proceeded down the stairs slowly and carefully, taking their time. "I think the lady is gone."- Russ "Looks like it," said Dan while examining around. Moving down one floor requires them to take two stairs, first on the right and then on the left. As they climb the second set of stairs, a drop of water falls on Dan''s hand. Ignoring it, Dan keeps moving forward slowly. Out of nowhere, his mind wanders to memories of rain and playing with his little brother back home. With a gentle smile, he looks up as if beholding a sky adorned with millions of raindrops. Then, abruptly, he stops in his tracks. "Hey, move."- Russ They all turn their heads toward Dan, who is looking up. One by one, they follow his gaze and look up as well. Their eyes widen in shock as they spot the Stalker Lady positioned on the stair ceiling directly above them. Her mouth hangs open, revealing an enormous tongue, and drooling incessantly. It was a stroke of luck that Dan happened to look up; otherwise, she could have swiftly taken him out. "You saved us. Let''s keep going now."- Droit. Dan is standing still. Melnik shakes him, bringing him back from shock. "Sorry, she is just horrifying," said Dan. Upon reaching the sixth floor, they gather in the corridor. Droit glances down at his phone, hoping for a text that will instruct him which Flat to enter. Out of the four Flats on this floor, one remains locked, while the other three are open and accessible. "Just go with the closest one."- Melnik. "yeah, it''s not like we have any clue what is waiting for us," said Russ. Droit gives a last look at his phone, but nothing happens, so they all decide to enter Flat 601. Entering the Flat''s door, they find themselves in a lengthy corridor. On either side of the corridor, there are three rooms. Moving forward, the corridor opens up into a spacious hallway. The walls are painted a pristine white, and each room is adorned with a red door featuring a Christian cross as part of its design. The hallways are dimly lit, with a sour, rusty smell permeating the corridor. "This place is giving me chills."- Dan "Yeah, it''s so quiet."- Melnik "Are we in a hotel or something?"- Dan "Since when hotels are having the Christ symbol engraved on their doors?"- Melnik "Cathedral, we are in a Church. These are Nuns Quarters. My Aunt is a nun. So I can tell. We are in the basement right now. Above us should be the main Chapel." said Russ. "Let''s look in the Rooms to check if someone is here or not." Said Droit. They cautiously enter the first room on the left, only to be greeted by a horrifying sight. Russ''s stomach churns, causing him to vomit upon witnessing the room''s gruesome scene. The room is drenched in blood, and a lifeless body lies on the bed, mercilessly gutted from top to bottom. On the left side, there is a set of table chairs, and on the right, a bathroom door. A painting of Jesus Christ adorns the front wall, while above the bed, dried blood stains the wall. With Melnik''s arrival, they decide to check the bathroom for any occupants. To their relief, the bathroom appears to be clean and devoid of anyone inside. "Well, I was thinking, what this scent is. Now I know," says Dan. "From the Clothes, it looks like the body is of a Nun," Dan pointed. "Be aware the killer could still be in the corridor or one of the rooms."- Melnik. Russ checks the corridor and verifies to everyone that it''s empty. "Should we check the room for the key?"- Droit "Yeah, and then we have to check five more rooms. And then the whole building."- Melnik "But the killer could be in one of the rooms! And only God knows what kind of creature it is."- Dan Suddenly, a chilling voice echoes through the room, reciting God''s hymns in deranged, bone-chilling laughter. "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him." "for He is thy health and salvation! HAHAHA!!" The haunting voice draws closer, sending shivers down their spines. "All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near; Sing now in glad adoration! HAHAHA, HAHAHAHA!" The eerie laughter intensifies, filling the room with an undeniable sense of terror and dread. All of them are in shock for a second. Then Droit yells, "Close the gate." Just as Russ tries to close the gate, someone forcefully jams a scythe''s blade into the door frame, preventing it from shutting completely. The door remains open, leaving them in a precarious and vulnerable position. "Are you ready to meet your creator?" asks the Monster as he opens the door. The monster that emerges is a truly horrifying sight to behold. It is a man, half-burned and towering at about 6 feet 5 inches tall. He wears a charred white cassock, and his body bears a ghastly combination of grey and red from the burns. With piercing red eyes and a squeaky voice, the monster emanates an aura of terror and dread. Melnik quickly tackles the monster, sending it flying into the door of the adjacent room. "Run! Get out!" Melnik shouts, urging everyone to make their escape. They all rush towards the hall, leaving Melnik alone to face the terrifying creature, bravely buying time for the others. The Hall stretches out, grand and circular, with two additional corridors branching off to the left and right. In the front, a set of stairways ascends to the upper floor. Seeking refuge, they gather beneath the stairways, concealed from sight. From this vantage point, Droit catches a glimpse of Melnik valiantly engaging the monster in combat, armed only with a single knife. Droit stands in shock, witnessing the intense battle unfold before their eyes. The spectacle resembles scenes from animated action movies, something they had only seen on screen before. Melnik displays remarkable skill, deftly parrying the monster''s scythe attack with his small knife and countering with a powerful right hook followed by an uppercut. However, it becomes evident to Droit that the monster''s sheer brute force surpasses Melnik''s capabilities. Even from a distance, Droit can sense the vast power disparity between them. It becomes clear that Melnik can only endure for approximately five more minutes in this relentless struggle. "He is the Father,"-Droit. "Whose father?"- Dan. "Not a Father, The Father, Father of this church," - Droit. "Seems like an anti-Father to me like a demon." - Russ. "Something must have happened to him. What should we do now? Melnik won''t hold for much longer."- Droit. "We should go up," said Dan. "But we don''t know what is waiting for us up there. More demons could be there."- Russ. "Then you tell me what should we do?"- Dan. "How would I know? You think I am smart enough to decide this?" - Russ. They Both look at Droit, Expecting him to know what to do next. "You guys go hide in separate rooms and search for the keys. And I am going to help Melnik," says Droit as he picks up a wooden broom. "You dare defy the will of God." Says the Father as he swings his scythe over Melnik. "This can''t be the will of God," says Droit as he bashed Father''s Skull into the wall with the broom. Father is shocked, seeing this puny human hitting him without fear. Making use of this time, Melnik grabs Droit and runs straight towards the staircases. The Father glares at them in anger and frustration as they climb the stairs and reach the ground floor. Determined to catch them, he sprints towards them, but they vanish from his sight. With a disappointed sigh, he reluctantly heads back down, reciting hymns as he searches for his elusive prey. "Beware of God''s wrath, for he could kill you without touching you. HAHAHA!!, He is a jolly mad fellow; he will kill you!!" Russ hears Father''s voice, and it is coming closer each second. He is hiding in the almirah on the left wall in a room in the left corridor. Russ is sweating in fear standing in the dark, looking into the room from a crack in the almirah. Russ has a chubby body. So, it''s getting hard for him to stay in as the depth of the almirah is not enough. The door creaks open, and Father steps into the room. He meticulously searches the room, inspecting the bathroom for any signs of hiding individuals, but finds nothing. He even checks below the bed, but the space remains empty. As Father starts making his way towards the door, an abrupt halt freezes him in place, his gaze fixated on the almirah. Russ trembles uncontrollably, overcome with fear. "Are you in there, child?" Russ remains silent, doing his best not to make any noise that could give away his presence. "Where are the Kids? Well, it''s fun finding them. I could do this all day." says Father as he walks out of the room. After ensuring that Father''s footsteps have faded away, Russ remains calm and composed. Taking a moment to collect himself, he inhales deeply before venturing a glance outside the room, determined to check on Dan''s well-being. With cautious movements, Russ opens the door quietly and peers out to the right. His blood runs cold as he finds himself face to face with Father, standing terrifyingly close. Father''s yellowed teeth drip with a disturbing black goo, which he then licks back into his mouth, adding an unsettling touch to the encounter. "It was dinner from many moons ago. Still tastes good." says the Father, smiling. Fear overtakes Russ, leaving him utterly stunned and unable to react. "Afraid not, I''ll only kill you. It''s as God intended. Your death will be painless and peaceful. It will be for the greater good. Afraid not for, he will be with you." says Father with pride on his face. In a desperate attempt to seek safety, Russ retreats towards the room, only to be seized by Father''s powerful grip around his neck. Meanwhile, Melnik and Droit continue their urgent search for the key on the ground floor, oblivious to the perilous situation gripping Russ. Melnik searches the rooms connected to the church hall while Droit checks the stage. Droit comes across a photo of a little girl in a hidden compartment of the podium. It is labeled "Daisy" on the back. Deciding to keep the photo, Droit moves on to reunite with Melnik. "Found anything?" - Droit. "No, nothing. You?" - Melnik. They enter a room that is significantly larger than the ones below, adorned with captivating paintings of gods and goddesses on each wall. A door on the left leads to a private bathroom, while an almirah stands on the right. Positioned in the center of the room, a bed captures their attention. Situated beside the bed, a small bedside table holds a pen, a watch, and a photo frame. "Have you checked the bedside table?"- Dorit. "Not yet, could you?"- Melnik. Droit carefully examines the table, opening the drawers in search of something useful. However, to their disappointment, the drawers yield nothing of significance. Their attention then turns to the photo frame, which holds a picture of Father''s family from a time when he was still human. As Droit closely observes the photo, they recognize the little girl as the same one from the earlier photograph. Eager to share this discovery, Droit shows the photo to Melnik, who confirms the connection between the two images."Yup, it''s him." "So he is a human?" - Droit "Was a human. Not anymore" -Melnik "Is this possible? A human can become a monster?" -Droit "A human can even become a God if it sets its mind to it." - Melnik "Are you serious?" - Droit "What do you think I am?" - Melnik "A monster? A Demon?" - Droit "Haha, you think that. Don''t you?" -Melnik "Umm, Yes," says Droit with an Embarrassed Smile. - Droit "I am a human, still. Not a demon or a Monster." - Melnik "But your physical strength is not that of a human." - Droit "We humans could evolve into anything we like. If we were to live underwater, we could have developed gills." - Melnik This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Yeah, I know how evolution works. But still, this is too much evolution to have." - Droit "yes, but that doesn''t mean it''s impossible. Also, it''s impolite to think I am not a human." - Melnik "So, can I attain a strength like yours?" - Droit "Yes, you sure can. Do you wanna learn that?" - Melnik "yes!" - Droit "Okay, I''ll teach you when all this is over." - Melnik A sudden thud echoes throughout the room as Father forcefully throws Russ into the church hall, right in front of the stage. His voice filled with malice, Father cries out, "Leave immediately, or he will pay the price. Well, he''s going to pay anyway. But it''ll be quick if you come out." Dan, hidden on the stairs, carefully observes the unfolding scene. After a few moments, Droit and Melnik step forward, their voices filled with a mix of fear and determination. They plead with Father, earnestly asking him to spare Russ''s life, appealing to his compassion. "Why are you doing this? You were a human once. Have some humanity." - Droit. "Humanity? Humanity is the weakest thing to have. To be powerful, one must become a monster." - Father. "But, look at this, look at your family. Think of them and think of what you have become." - Droit shows him the photo. "They are bound to God. or the Devil. It doesn''t matter. All you need is power in life, not family. Family makes you weak."- says Father, turning red from anger. Small flames dance and flicker, engulfing the burned sections of Father''s body, casting an eerie glow in the surrounding darkness. As the flames engulf Father, the once-dark church is bathed in a fiery red glow. The acrid stench of burning flesh permeates the air, assaulting their senses. Russ, filled with desperation, looks to Melnik and pleads for assistance. Without hesitation, Melnik begins to sprint towards them. However, Father forcefully drives his scythe into the ground, unleashing a powerful shock wave that propels Droit and Melnik backward, momentarily halting their progress. Melnik gets up and asks Droit to run, "I''ll get Russ. You leave." said Melnik. Unnoticed, Dan cautiously makes his way up the stairs. However, a sudden stumble causes Father to divert his gaze towards him. Seizing the opportunity, Melnik swiftly springs into action, rushing towards Father with unwavering determination. In a swift and ferocious move, Father snatches Melnik with his left hand, locking eyes with him as a scream echoes from his throat. Melnik, determined to resist, headbutts Father, only fueling his anger further. In a twisted display of brutality, Father retaliates by biting off Melnik''s right ear, inflicting immense pain upon him. With barehanded savagery, Father proceeds to gut Melnik, his life hanging by a thread. Finally, with a callous toss, Father discards Melnik, leaving him broken and at the mercy of his vicious assault. Melnik is out and lying on the ground. Droit dashed towards him, the suddenly Russ cries, "DROIT" for help. Droit looks toward him, and Father tries to cut Russ down. Droit takes out the photo of his daughter, shows it to him, and says, "You were a human with a Family. Russ has a family too, so please spare his life, as he hasn''t done anything wrong." "It doesn''t matter," says Father as he chops the top of Russ'' head off. Half of Russ''s brain fell out. And in the rage, Father keeps cutting his body, horizontally from the top towards the bottom, in small pieces. Father is crying with anguish and reciting Bibles, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." Observing the scene, Dan rushes toward the Father with a determined expression and attempts to push him. But the Father doesn''t pay any attention to him and kept on chopping Russ. With each hit, Father''s body turns bigger and more burnt. Droit wakes up Melnik and asks him if he can run. "You take Dan and run, as I need to heal myself first," says Melnik. "But, he''ll kill you; you are coming with me. I am not leaving you here." - Droit. "My wounds are almost healed. I''ll be up in a minute. You take Dan and hide." - Melnik Droit signals Dan to run, and they head downstairs. As they prepare to leave, the Father growls loudly and stares at Dan. Dan stops in his tracks, and the Father''s mouth opens wide, revealing Russ'' spooky, half-eaten head inside. Russ'' head grins menacingly at Dan with blood-filled, sharp teeth. Overwhelmed by terror, Dan trembles and cries out for help when confronted with Russ'' horrifying head. Droit takes hold of Dan''s hand and pulls him towards the stairs, both desperate to escape. In the downstairs corridor, lined with numerous rooms on either side, they run frantically without daring to enter any of them. Despite seeing no one, Dan senses an ominous presence pursuing them. He glances back anxiously, but there''s no sign of anyone behind them. Nevertheless, an unsettling feeling persists, as if someone is about to seize him. Driven by fear, Dan accelerates his pace, but his haste leads to a painful fall. As he cries out in agony, he realizes that Russ'' head has clamped its teeth onto his feet. "Let me take your body," says the Head. Without wasting time, Droit kicks the Head away and helps him to stand up. "Come on, let''s enter this room for now." - Droit. "Please save me. I don''t wanna die." - Dan. "Don''t worry. Everything will be okay. Just go inside the room." - Droit. "Don''t worry? Russ is dead, man!"- Dan. "I know, But now is not the time to discuss that or worry about it. We need to survive this." Says Droit. *clomp-clomp* Footstep approaches. As the Father enters the corridor, he cruelly holds an unconscious and badly beaten Melnik in his right hand, relishing in his sinister actions. In a panic, Droit swiftly pulls Dan inside and firmly shuts the door behind them. The sound of the Father''s footsteps drawing closer fills the air, sending shivers down their spines. Droit decides to take a seat, positioning himself with his back against the door to act as a barrier between them and the approaching threat. Then the Father knocks on the door, and he says, "I''m here," in a deep, stern voice "I need to slice you up like I chopped up your friend, so open the gate. I could knock this door down, but it wouldn''t be any fun. Come outside, and kneel before me. And rejoice in being slain by me." Dan glances at Droit, clutching the photo of the girl in his hand. To his dismay, Droit has fallen into a deep slumber. Dan attempts to wake him, but despite his efforts, Droit remains unconscious and unresponsive. Droit awakens to a surreal sight. He witnesses the Father standing with his wife and the girl from the photo, but there''s also a ghostly version of the girl present, guiding Droit to see her memories. Filled with curiosity, Droit inquires about the events that transpired. The ghostly girl simply points her finger toward the Father''s room. Inside the room, an unexpected scene unfolds before Droit''s eyes. The Father is happily playing cards with his daughter, appearing to be in a jovial mood despite the unsettling circumstances surrounding them. The Father''s wife suddenly cries out in the Sanctuary, drawing their attention. Without hesitation, the Father and his daughter rushes to her side. Behind her stands a tall and charming man with shiny black hair and eerie red eyes. He has his hand around the wife''s neck, sending chills down their spines. The Father is visibly shaken and anxious as he faces this ominous figure. The Father grasps his cross tightly and begins chanting fervent prayers. However, the man only laughs mockingly in response, taunting them. "HAHAHA, it''s all a waste. You know, God is long gone, right?" he jeers, extending his tongue to lick the cheeks of the Father''s wife, horrifying them all. Suddenly, Droit''s attention is drawn to a shocking revelation. He notices a large red tail protruding from the man''s backside, making him realize that this sinister figure is none other than The Devil himself. "What do you want from me? I''ll do anything. Please, let her go."- The Father. "Ohh, What I want is quite simple. Just curse your God, and I''ll leave."- The Devil. "No, you Devil! How dare you ask me to defile my God. If he hears you, he''ll smite you down."- The Father. "Isn''t he everywhere? So he must be hearing me. Now, last chance for you. What are you going to do?"- The Devil. The Father closes his eyes, praying with unwavering faith for his wife''s safety. A chilling slash interrupts his prayers, and upon opening his eyes, he witnesses the horrifying sight of his wife''s decapitated head at the Devil''s feet. Devastated, he drops to his knees, filled with grief and anger, cursing the Devil with all his heart. "See? I told you. But you didn''t listen. And now she''ll suffer for all eternity because of you."- The Devil. Now, with a sweet smile, the Devil looks at Father''s daughter. "No! Please, don''t. I''ll curse God! I''ll do anything! Just leave my daughter. Please!"- The Father. The Devil cruelly cradles the daughter''s head in his hands, commanding the Father to curse God. Consumed by grief, anger, and confusion, the Father succumbs to the pressure and unleashes a vehement curse directed at God. He can''t comprehend why such a tragedy is befalling him, as he has always remained faithful to God''s teachings, leading a righteous life. But in an instant, as the curse leaves the Father''s lips, the Devil callously smashes the daughter''s head. "Oops, Sorry, I got excited watching you curse God. Well, never mind. It''s not like you are going to live anyway." - The Devil. With that said Devil guts The Father and left his Scythe inside him, saying "This Scythe is no fun now. You can have it." Surviving the horrific encounter, the Father is left with the Scythe lodged in his body, kneeling amidst the lifeless bodies of his wife and daughter. Overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, he curses God once again, abandoning his faith and embracing the darkness. In an act of desperation, he dips his hand into his daughter''s blood and licks it, triggering a transformation. Dark energy engulfs him as his body begins to burn, leaving him half-alive, half-burned, forever changed by the nightmarish ordeal. Droit is left speechless, witnessing the horrifying events unfold before him. As he turns to his right, he is astonished to see the spirit of the daughter standing beside him. The girl warns him that he must allow her to speak to the Father; otherwise, there will be no controlling the dark path he is taking. "How could I take you to him? It seems even I am not where he is right now."- Droit. "My spirit was introduced into this world through you. You can let me appear in front of Dad, I''m sure. I am showing you my memories. You are still where you were."- The Daughter. "Okay, I understand. But I don''t know how I can bring you in front of your Father."- Droit. "You don''t need to know, just want, want, for me to be able to talk to my dad. That should be all."- The Daughter. "Cool. Let''s try it. We don''t have any other option anyway."- Droit. As the Father, consumed by rage and darkness, swings his Scythe towards Droit, he suddenly comes to a halt when he spots his daughter standing before him. A lone tear escapes his eye, and in that moment, the fiery rage within him begins to cool down. Seeing his daughter, he is overwhelmed with emotions, and his once-burning body starts to calm. The daughter embraces her father''s leg, and he collapses to his knees, the weight of his sorrow and remorse apparent in his tearful eyes. With his daughter in his arms, he releases all his pent-up emotions, crying his heart out as he holds her close. Gratitude fills his soul, and he finally thanks the Gods for granting him this reunion with his beloved daughter. Returned to his priest form, the Father expresses his gratitude to Droit and begs for forgiveness. However, Droit''s anger remains, knowing that the Father murdered his friend not long ago. He demands to be released and left alone. The Father, with remorse in his eyes, bows his head once more before Droit and pleads for forgiveness, stating that he cannot be reunited with his daughter unless he cleanses his conscience. He laments that the Gates of Heaven will remain forever closed to him, preventing him from being with his wife and daughter ever again. "You should have thought about it before killing my friend." -Droit. "My father is not like that, It was years of resentment against God that made him like that. You know our whole story, could you still not find it in your heart to forgive him?" asks the Daughter. After thinking Droit decides to let go of his anger and forgive the Father. Then He tells him to ask for forgiveness from Dan. "My forgiveness won''t do anything much. Ask him, if he can forgive you or not. He was closest to Russ."- Droit. The daughter shares their story with Dan, and he forgives the Father. Dan then asks if there''s a way to bring Russ back to life. "Yes, there is. But, for that, you have to go to hell and ask the Devil himself."- The Father. "How can we enter hell? Aren''t we already in one?"- Droit "This is my Domain. Or you can say Death''s Domain. How did you enter here?"- the Father. "Through the Main Gate for the Flat."- Droit. "Flat?"- the Father. "Yes, We were inside a building, and in that building, every room has a different dimension. Yours is room 601."- Droit. "Hmm, interesting. In that case, I have something for you." The Father presents his Scythe to Droit. Miraculously, as Droit touches it, the Scythe transforms into a bracelet and clasps onto his hand. "What is this?" asks Droit. "It is the Scythe of the Death. The Devil made me the death incarnate and left me this to bring forth doom. I believe it''ll be a good help to you on your Journey." - Father. "umm, thanks I guess. How can I convert it back to a Scyth?"- Droit. "That, Even I don''t know. It never did that with me." - Father. Meanwhile, Melnik is almost healed and watching as all of this happens. He notices the Bracelet and smiles a little. "Papa, come with me. We will be together with Mama now." said the Daughter. "Alright guys, take care of yourselves on your Journey," says Father as he and his Daugther starts to fade away. "WAIT!!! The key, where is the Key?" shouts Melnik. "Key to what?"- The Father. "Key of the house!"- Melnik. Father takes a key from his pocket and gives it to Melnik. "This should do," said Father with a smile. Then both of them Fade away. "Should we go now?"- Dorit. "I am still not fully healed. Let''s rest here for now."- Melnik. "Also, I have pissed. So, I might need to wash my pants and take a bath."- Dan. Melnik and Droit both laugh at him and decide to take some rest in this Dimension. The Corridor After giving a proper burial to Russ and taking a day''s rest, they all decide to move down and continue their journey. Eager and full of anticipation, they reach the 5th floor, where only one flat stands open. Droit consults with everyone, asking if they prefer heading down to the 4th floor or venturing into the mysterious room. Intrigued by the unknown, everyone agrees to enter the room. Upon stepping inside, they find themselves transported to a breathtaking and bewildering sight ¨C standing on a sea ramp in the middle of an open ocean. Melnik quickly takes charge, instructing Dan to hold onto the door to prevent it from closing behind them. However, Droit, captivated by the beauty of the surrounding scenery, nearly leans over the edge of the ramp. With caution, Melnik warns Droit to step back and avoid any unforeseen dangers. Surveying the vast blue sky and the radiant sun above, Melnik is taken aback by the peaceful and surreal atmosphere. But Droit''s eyes are drawn downward, where a mesmerizing golden glow emerges from the depths of the sea. Overwhelmed with excitement, he exclaims, "I think this sea is filled with Gold! The whole sea is glowing!" Their amazement, however, is short-lived. As the golden water begins to ripple in a zig-zag pattern, an enormous water body emerges ¨C the head of a colossal serpent. Towering like a mountain, the serpent''s head resembles that of a cobra, adorned with stunning golden scales and black markings. Its intimidating teeth are as enormous as the Eiffel Tower, and its eyes are a hypnotic combination of blue and white. The serpent ascends to the skies, locking its gaze on the intruders, and a spine-chilling smile spreads across its face. All three of them stand still in awe and terror, witnessing the majesty and horror before them. A guttural growl emanates from the serpent, and with it, poisonous rain starts pouring from the sky. In a swift and decisive move, Melnik grabs Droit and Dan, pulling them outside the room and sealing the door behind them. They are now safely away from the wrath of the giant serpent. They went down one floor and entered room 402, all flats are open on this floor. but, they decide to go into 402. Upon entering, they find themselves in a room filled with kids and some adults. There are around 10 kids and 2 adults here. They all look sick and weak like they are coming down with something. They all are shocked when they see them enter the room through a gate that is locked from the inside. One adult comes forward and asks them who they are. "Hey, we are fellow prisoners of the building. Can you please tell us where are we? And btw my name is Melnik. This is Dan and Droit." - Melnik. "Fellow Prisoner? Building? What are you talking about?" - Adult Person. "Do you know where you are? And what is wrong with you all? You look sick." - Melnik. "That is because we haven''t eaten in days. Mr. Lucas is out there. So we can''t go out and get something to eat. But tell me who are you people? Can you take us where you came from? We need to eat something or we will die. Like many of us already did. We used to over 100 people here." - Adult Person. "A hundred!, in this room?" - Dan. "No, in the whole school. This is just one class and all the kids that are left, and also Miss Daisy." - Adult Person. Miss Daisy nods to everyone. "And you are?" - Droit. "Ohh, Sorry. My name is Sukomi." - Miss Sukomi. "Okay, So, What is happening here? Who is this Lucas and why is he not letting you eat anything?" - Melnik. "Mr. Lucas is one of the teachers or was. Something happened to him. There was a monster, roaming our corridors. What happened is Mr. Lucas went out of the class to get something to eat. He knew that the Monster was out but he couldn''t watch more kids die because of hunger. So He went out but the Monster got him and now somehow he is the Monster." - Miss Sukomi. "So, you are saying there are Zombies out there?" - Dan. "Not Zombies. I think there is only one Monster now and that is Mr. Lucas. I think it transfers itself onto his/her latest prey." - Miss Sukomi. "What is that smell?" - Dan. "We take care of our needs in this room only. So, you are smelling that. Sorry." - Miss Sukomi. "You guys are peeing and shitting in here?" - Dan. "You can go out and try?" - Miss Sumoki. "Yeah, Sure. We have been to worse." - Dan Dan moves towards the room exit, and just as he approaches the gate, Lucas walks in front of the gate. Dan freezes and takes a step back. Lucas stands around 6 feet tall, with a fair complexion and medium-length black hair. His neck is broken, and his head rests on his right shoulder, forming an eerie smile. He gazes into the room for several minutes before departing. As soon as he leaves, Melnik exits the room and observes Lucas walking along the corridor, peering into the rooms. It appears he is on a hunt to either harm or convert individuals. There is no one else in the corridor except for him. "How long is the corridor and on which floor are we?" - Melnik. "Each floor houses approximately 15 classrooms and 2 toilets, making it quite extensive. We currently occupy the third floor, and there are a total of four floors in this building, with ours being the topmost floor." - Miss Sukomi. "Anyone tried to kill him yet?" - Droit. "No! People sometimes attempt to sneak out to the cafeteria but never return; if someone does, they return in the form of the Monster. Before Mr. Lucas, it was a student, and before him, it was our Principal." - Miss Sukomi. "Hmm, And why is he not entering this room?" - Droit. "That we don''t know." - Miss Sukomi. "Melnik, let''s head out and see what we can do. At least let''s get some food for the children." - Droit. "Yes, but let me go out by myself first. I''ll check a few things and get back." - Melnik. "No, Didn''t you hear her? No one comes back. I''ll go with you. Dan you stay here and protect these people if something happens." - Droit. "These people are safe. I am coming with you guys." - Dan. "No! It''s risky." - Melnik. "Dude, I can''t leave you guys alone. What if something happens out there? you might need my help" - Dan. "Believe me I don''t think you can be of much help here." - Melnik. Dan approaches Melnik and discreetly mentions that he needs to use the restroom but can''t go in front of Miss Sumoki and Daisy. Melnik looks at him sternly and then nods, allowing Dan to accompany them. They inquire with Sukomi about the cafeteria and then proceed to head down. The cafeteria is located on the ground floor. "We need to kill the monster and save everyone." - Droit. "Yeah, let''s kill him. But can we stop at the toilet first?" - Dan. They make their way toward the toilet located at the end of the corridor. Just beside the toilet, there is a stairwell leading downstairs. Upon entering the toilet, they cautiously check to see if it''s empty. To their horror, they find lifeless bodies strewn all around, each with a hole in the chest. Unable to hold it any longer, Dan starts urinating. Meanwhile, Droit and Melnik examine the bodies. "It seems like the Monster likes the heart." - Melnik. "Hmm, Is he eating them?" - Droit. "I don''t know, but according to Sukomi, if there is only one Monster at a time, that means that all these people were the Monster once." - Melnik. "Check their necks." - Dorit. They examine everyone''s necks, finding that each one has a broken neck, confirming the validity of their theory. Melnik and Droit stand face to face, deep in conversation about the situation. Suddenly, Melnik abruptly halts mid-sentence. With his right hand, he intercepts the Monster who has his hand inside Melnik from behind, just moments away from extracting his heart. Four of the Monster''s fingers are lodged inside Melnik when he stops him. Melnik swiftly removes the Monster''s fingers and hurls him towards a toilet seat. As a result, Melnik begins to bleed and fades quickly. Without hesitation, Droit and Dan seize Melnik and dash out of the restroom. Dan promptly locks the restroom door behind them before they proceed down the stairs toward the ground floor. When they reach the first floor, a loud crash echoes through the building, indicating that the Monster has broken through the gate. They decide to take cover in a room on the first floor and wait for the Monster to pass. They enter the first room from the stairs. However, the Monster arrives before they can take cover in the room. Dan boldly gestures at the Monster with his finger, thinking the Monster can''t enter the classrooms. The Monster grins in response. Meanwhile, Droit directs his attention to the back of the room and notices a pile there. He approaches it and discovers a heap of lifeless bodies. In alarm, Droit shouts, "Get away from the gate!" just as the Monster steps into the room without any difficulty. Dan quickly retreats to join Droit and Melnik, who are at the rear of the classroom. The Monster gets closer, extending one hand towards the trio. Melnik is almost healed but still can''t walk on his own. Droit grabs a table and throws it at the Monster, but it doesn''t stop him. Droit tries to run at the Monster to headbutt it, but Melnik stops him. With difficulty, Melnik walks toward the Monster. The Monster grabs Melnik''s left hand and breaks it, but Melnik punches the Monster''s face with his right hand without hesitation, sending it into the wall. However, Melnik is also unable to move. Droit and Dan pick him up and leave the room. "They head to the ground floor. According to Sukomi, the cafeteria should be the last room on the ground floor. They are doing their best to reach the end of the corridor, but the Monster is closing in on them, and tension is mounting within all three. While running, Droit notices that the last room and the room to his right both have square papers pasted on the wall." "Hey What is that paper thing on the wall of the Cafeteria?" - Droit "How the hell should I know?" - Dan "Right now, please just focus on getting into the room and finding something to hold down the gates. He is almost behind us." - Melnik Droit picks up the pace, and they enter the cafeteria. Dan and Droit place Melnik on a table and rush back to the gate to close it. The Monster is right there, frowning and staring at them. Droit and Dan stand their ground, and the Monster doesn''t come inside. "He can''t come in." - Droit. "Yeah, but why?" - Dan. "I think I know but I need to verify something first. Let''s wait for him to leave." - Droit. After the Monster leaves, Droit steps outside and examines the paper pasted on the wall. It bears a strange symbol resembling a letter from Urdu or Hindi. Droit scans the adjacent rooms, searching for the same symbol to check if more people are inside or not. The next symbol leads to the science lab on the same floor. Droit enters and is met with a gruesome sight¡ªblood spattered all over the place, with a large sigil at the room''s center. On the right side of the room, there''s a table with peculiar ingredients, a black book, and a notepad. Droit reaches the table and picks up the notepad. The notepad belongs to someone named Raj. It serves as a journal, containing information about what is happening at this school. July 24th Abhay has gone mad with his newfound book and is talking about becoming immortal for real. I don''t generally write things down, but I am afraid something can go wrong, and these notes can help. Abhay found this book a week back ¡ª well, not exactly found it. He claims that the devil himself gave it to him and told him that he could achieve immortality with it. July 25th Abhay invited me to the science lab at night to give me proof that the book works. Without thinking much, I agreed to meet him. That was my first mistake. It was around 8 PM. He created a sigil on the floor with the blood of a rabbit. I puked when I saw the dead body of the rabbit on the ground. I yelled at Abhay for what he had done. Just as I was about to get out of the room, he started chanting random mantras from the book, and the room lit up red. The blood started glowing, and from the sigil came a demon. He was about 2 feet tall with two horns on his forehead. Just as he arrived, he asked us if we wanted to sell him our souls. Abhay denied it and sent him back. He did all that like it was nothing. I was shocked. I asked him to burn that book, but he denied it and started talking about becoming immortal with it. He asked me to join him and help him with the ritual. I denied it, but soon I understood that he was going to do it with or without me. I can''t let him do this alone. Someone needs to tell the world what happened here. I accepted his proposal, and he told me that he would be doing the ritual on the night of the 26th and gave me several items to bring with me. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. July 26 The first thing I did today was to go down to the police station and update them on everything. They all laughed at me and kicked me out. Next, I went to the school principal, but Abhay was the school topper and the head of the science club. The principal, too, told me to stop looking into his affairs and did not believe me. I tried to bring in other school friends with me, but something was off. It was like they didn''t care. I think Abhay has done something to them. There is no other option left; I have to attend tonight''s ceremony. I was scared, and I didn''t know what to do anymore, so I went to a temple near my home. I sat there for about an hour until the priest noticed me and asked if I was worried about my exams. I told him that I feared something bad was about to happen, and I couldn''t do anything to stop it. He looked at me carefully, drew an OM on a plain white paper, gave it to me, and told me to chant it whenever I fell powerless in the face of evil. I took the paper and put it in my shirt''s pocket. On the way to the school, I kept chanting OM. The school was over, and everybody went home. I stayed for sports, and Abhay was alone in the science lab, supposedly preparing for the science fest, or so he told everyone. Hopefully, we will come out of all this safely. Let''s see what will happen tonight. The journal ends here. "That''s the last of it. So, that monster came out from hell. That means Raj and Abhay could be alive." - Droit. Droit glanced at the paper on the wall, noticing the OM symbol¡ªthe same one the Priest gave to Raj. "So, that symbol really works," Droit mumbled to himself. He returned to the cafeteria and shared the school events with Dan and Melnik. "If what you are saying is correct than that means that we can cage the Monster." - Melnik. "Yup, Let''s do it." - Dan. "So, what is the plan?" - Droit "Before the plan, tell me this, is the book still there in the lab?" - Melnik. "Yes." - Droit. "Let''s get that first, we can''t let anyone else get their hands on it." - Melnik. They go to the lab, and Melnik gazes upon the book. Droit looks at Melnik''s face while he is walking toward the book. "You know this book?" - Droit. "Yes. I do." - Melnik answers. "Why? What have you done? or Alnik?" - Droit. "Nothing myself or Alnik. You could say it has done some badthings to us." - Melnik. "So you know how it works? Maybe you can help fix this school using this book?" - Droit. "No, I am not going to use this book and neither will both of you. We will destroy it once we get the chance." - Melnik. "What happened?" - Droit. "May be some other time. Let''s get out of here first." - Melnik. "Okay, so I have a plan." - Dan. They both look at him. "First we will prepare a new symbol, we can take stuff to prepare it from the. cafeteria then, Droit and I will go find the Monster and let him chase us toward the room next to this lab. Melnik will stand inside the room waiting for the Monster to come chasing after us. We will run past that room and just as the Monster will try to pass it Melnik will draw its attention towards him. Seeing Melnik alone in the room the Monster will enter the room and just then we will paste the Symbol on the outer wall of the room. Sorted!" - Dan. "Umm, What about me? I am still inside the room with the Monster." - Melnik said with a tensed smile. "Bro, you are safe you can heal. Just try not to be caught by him and run out." - Dan. Melnik tries to get out of this plan and says "Okay, but let''s see what Droit has to say about this." They both look at Droit and he just Nods in affirmation. And gives a thumbs up to Melnik with a wink and smile. Melnik curses both of them saying that they are the worst people he has ever known. "I can heal, but that doesn''t mean I don''t feel pain, Assholes!" says Melnik as he walks into the room, accepting the plan. They both head to the first floor where the Monster is roaming. Droit calls him out, and he starts to run behind them. They make their way to the ground floor and wait for about 5 seconds for the Monster to catch up, then they start running again toward the end of the corridor. They pass the science lab and the room where Melnik is located, reaching the end. There is nothing behind them except the wall, with the cafeteria on their left side. The Monster reaches out for them and arrives at the room where Melnik is located. Melnik shouts from the room, but the Monster ignores him and continues chasing them. They both panic and rush into the cafeteria. From inside the cafeteria, they attempt to communicate with the Monster through gestures, indicating where to go for fresh prey. After some time, the Monster comprehends their signals and enters Melnik''s room. As the Monster enters the room, they quickly exit the cafeteria and successfully affix the symbol to the room''s wall. Inside the room, they witness Melnik fighting for his life, having been thrown into the wall. From outside the room, Dan yells at the Monster to divert its attention away from Melnik. When the Monster turns to look at Dan, Melnik seizes the opportunity and makes a desperate dash for his life, running while leaning forward to ensure his head remains below the Monster''s waist. He manages to run past the Monster, but just as he is about to exit the room, the Monster grabs his right leg. Dan and Droit reach Melnik from outside and pull him out, but in the process, Melnik''s leg gets torn apart. "Will it grow back?" Dan asks. "I am never following any plan of yours in the future," Melnik responds. "So, it won''t?" Dan asks with a worried expression. "It will, but it hurts so bad," Melnik explains. "Ohh, that''s cool then!" Dan replies. "I would really like you to meet Alnik sometime," says Melnik with a sweet smile. "Who is he? Sure, I would love to meet him," Dan responds. "Believe me, you don''t want to meet Alnik," warns Droit. "Umm, okay, if you say soo," says Dan. The Monster is caught! After that, they all went to the cafeteria to rest and for Melnik to regrow his leg. Dan and Melnik were arguing over something trivial, and Droit stood there, smiling, thinking that this might be the first time he was actually happy here. They were getting along, and it seemed like they all could make it out of there. "Do you guys wanna eat something? I can whip something up," Droit said to stop them from arguing. "Yes, please!" they both reply. Droit moves behind the counter and begins washing some vegetables. Suddenly, Miss Sukomi''s voice echoes through the corridor. "Stop, Jason! Don''t go in there," she yells. Dan emerges from the cafeteria and spots a small child, no older than four, entering the room where the Monster is sealed. Miss Sukomi rushes towards the child from the stairway. Without hesitation, Dan chases after him, entering the room and snatching the child away from the Monster just as it reaches out, piercing Dan''s back and grabbing his heart. In pain, Dan throws the child out of the room and cries out. Droit and Melnik rush to the front of the room, only to find Dan standing there, facing them, with the Monster behind him. Droit watches as the life drains from Dan''s eyes. The Monster pulls out Dan''s heart and begins to devour it. Droit attempts to rush at the Monster to strike it, but Melnik holds him down. Droit cries out in agony, and even Melnik sheds a tear. Droit continues to yell, "Let me go! I''ll kill this monster! Dan! Dan! No! No!" After consuming the heart, the Monster suddenly starts shaking and dies. Droit stops yelling for a moment and asks Melnik to release him. Melnik remains fixated on the Monster, trying to comprehend what just transpired. Suddenly, Dan''s lifeless body rises from the ground, his skin color changing, his neck breaking, and his head detaching from his body while still connected by the skin. Dan is slowly transforming into the Monster. Droit begins to lose his senses; it''s all too much to bear. Just two days earlier, they had lost Russ, and now Dan. Dan opens his eyes, his head on his shoulder, an eerie smile forming on his face as he stands there, gazing at them. It becomes apparent that Dan is gone, and the Monster now stands in his place. This is what has been happening to everyone at the school¡ªthey all transform into the Monster one by one, and now it is Dan''s turn. Droit continues to cry, with Melnik still holding him tightly. Gazing at Melnik, Droit utters, "I was wrong. We can''t escape from here. Dan is gone, Russ is gone. Please, do something, bring them back! I can''t endure this any longer." Melnik instructs Droit to remain down as he retrieves the Book from his coat. "What are you doing?" Droit inquires. "Checking what just happened," Melnik responds. Melnik meticulously goes through the Book, page by page, and then offers an explanation. "One becomes immortal by removing their own heart. However, there is another condition: the removed heart must be kept safe from any harm or being devoured by the demons who seem to have a taste for hearts. Once an immortal''s heart is gone, they transform into a dull husk of senselessness, driven solely by the desire to reclaim their heart. If this senseless being retrieves and consumes its heart, it can return to being a mortal. But if it consumes any heart other than its own, it will perish," Melnik explains. "So, the Monster is merely searching for its lost heart. That''s incredibly tragic," Miss Sukomi observes. "Yes, but there''s more to it. You become immortal when you take out your own heart, but in this case, the Monster is removing and consuming hearts. This means that if an immortal extracts the heart of another person, they can also attain immortality," Melnik elaborates. "So, that means Dan can''t be killed? We couldn''t even save him from his misery?" Droit asks with a tearful voice. "Droit, stand up! We need to go," Melnik insists. "Just leave me, I can''t go on anymore. Please, go back to your flat," Droit pleads. "Don''t be foolish. Stand up. We can still save Dan. I have a plan," Melnik says with relief. "How?" Droit asks, hope flickering in his eyes. "We''ll retrieve his heart and make him consume it. It should return him to normal," Melnik explains. "The Monster ate his heart! Are you blind?" Droit exclaims. "I know someone who can help us with that. Stand up, come with me," Melnik urges. Melnik then instructs Miss Sukomi to gather everyone and accompany them to their new hideout, The Cathedral. Droit slowly stands up, casting one last glance at Dan. A tear rolls down his cheek. "I swear to you, I will save you. I will come back with your heart or die trying," he vows as another tear falls from his eye. Droit helps Melnik walk, supporting his injured leg. "We still need a key to get out of here," Droit reminds. Turning to Miss Sukomi, Melnik asks, "Who has the keys to the doors?" "The Janitor has them. It should be on him," Miss Sukomi replies. "Could you please find him and let us know?" Melnik requests. Miss Sukomi leaves to search for the Janitor on all the floors. After 10 minutes, she returns. Melnik''s injuries have healed during this time. She informs them of the Janitor''s location, and they all head there. Droit checks the Janitor''s pockets and finds a whole collection of keys. "Umm, which one is for your class?" Droit asks. "Umm, give them to me, I''ll check," Miss Sukomi replies. She selects a key and hands it to Droit. "Alright, let''s get out of here," says Melnik, and they all head towards the classroom. The Heart Back at the Cathedral, now their central hub, Droit and Melnik stand in the main church hall, the very spot where Russ met his end. Meanwhile, Miss Sukomi and her friend are diligently preparing rooms for the group, including the children. Melnik reassures everyone, expressing their commitment to stay together until they uncover a solution to escape the clutches of this Dimension Jail. Droit turns to Melnik, asking how they can get Dan''s heart back. Melnik falls silent, lost in thought. This has been Melnik''s state of mind since their return, now for an hour. Droit grows increasingly impatient. "Melnik," he demanded, "would you just tell me?! How to get Dan''s heart back?" "Okay," Melnik replied with caution, "it is possible to get the heart back, but I don''t know if it''s worth the risk." "Worth the risk?" Droit retorted with frustration, "Obviously, it''s worth the risk. It''s Dan we''re talking about. He lost his life saving a kid. It should have been me or you!" "I know," Melnik admitted with a somber tone, "but saving him might require Alnik." "Alnik? Why?" questioned Droit. "So," Melnik explained, "there''s a Sage in flat 501. He can grant wishes if beaten in a fight. Last time, I went there to collect the key, but I wasn''t enough, so I had to let Alnik loose. Now the issue is, he is quite smart, and somehow he already knew how to change me back to being me. So, I just left the flat and came back." "Are you sure the Sage can give us Dan''s heart?" Droit inquired. "Yes," Melnik affirmed, "he told me last time that if I win the fight, I can either get the key or wish for anything to come true. No holds barred. Except for two things, He can''t bring anyone back to life and he can''t let anyone out of the Dimension Prison. He himself is stuck here." "In that case, I''ll fight him," declared Droit. "You''ll die," Melnik warned. "You didn''t," Droit challenged. "That''s because of Alnik," Melnik clarified with a weary voice. "When he brought me back, the dude was exhausted. He didn''t kill me because he was afraid that Alnik would take over full-time. And that is my concern now. If we want to defeat him, we need Alnik full time. And I don''t know if he''ll let me come outside if I give him full control." "I''ll take the risk and call your name. Is that okay?" Droit asked. "No," Melnik responded firmly, "full control means only he can let me out. No name-calling, nothing else." Droit remained silent, taking a seat on the stage ramp. After thoughtful contemplation, he cast a serious gaze at Melnik and declared his decision ¨C he would take on the Sage in a fight. "I already told you, he''ll kill you," Melnik insisted. "I am not going right now. I will train, and I need your help with that," Droit stated. "Sure," Melnik conceded, "I could train you well, but to defeat someone like that Sage, it''ll take you 100 years, assuming you have some talent." "I am not talking about you. You yourself couldn''t defeat him. I need Alnik to train me. Put in some good words for me. Ask him to train me," Droit requested. "First of all, how dare you! I am a great teacher. I could at least beat your little ass. Second, no. Alnik won''t do it, and neither am I asking him to do so. He''ll kill you in a heartbeat and then kill all the others here in the Cathedral. Do you want that to happen?" Melnik warned with a stern tone. "I understand, but there is no other way. And I know how to get you back. If he doesn''t agree, I''ll just call your name," Droit asserted. "Not happening, sorry. Russ and Dan are already gone. I can''t risk this. I don''t want to be left alone again," Melnik confessed with a sense of vulnerability. "Believe me, I am not going to die, and I have to do this. Please let Alnik train me. There is no other way," Droit pleaded. After careful thought, Melnik gives Droit the green light to meet Alnik. Yet, he emphasizes the need for Droit to keep Alnik in the dark about the presence of others and the Book. Melnik then closes his eyes, and Alnik comes to life. "Well, well, well, you look all healed. Good, good. Let me do something about that." - Alnik, his tone laced with a hint of amusement. "Wait! Please listen to me. This is important." - Droit, pleadingly, desperation evident in his voice. "A god doesn''t listen unless you pray, and I am a devil! Why should I?" - Alnik. Droit drops to his knees, clasps his hands together, and implores Alnik to halt and hear him out. Despite this, Alnik continues advancing with a cynical smile on his face. "Train me!" Droit yells with determination. Alnik stops and asks if he is joking. "Please, train me. I need to get stronger." - Droit, a sense of urgency in his voice. "And why is that? And why would you think in hell I would train you?" - Alnik starts to walk towards him again, questioning Droit''s motives. Seated on his knees with head bowed, Droit glances up as Alnik approaches. Making one final plea, Droit is silenced by Alnik. In a swift motion, Alnik seizes Droit''s neck and hoists him into the air, questioning, "Shall we begin?" "Train me," Droit declares with a resolute gaze. Despite being within Alnik''s grasp, Droit shows no fear, a fact not lost on Alnik. "Ohh, little puppy seems to be a big dog now. Well, no issue. I can still have fun with you." - Alnik, a tone of amusement in his voice. "My friend is dead. I need to get stronger to get him back. Train me, please." - Droit, earnestly pleading for Alnik''s assistance. "Why do you believe that merely sharing your needs entitles you to anything from me? I am a monster, a devil, a living nightmare. Why would I ever consider helping you? So what if your friend perished? Was he a god or someone of importance? What significance does he hold? Both of you are inconsequential! How dare you beg me for assistance? You''re nothing but prey to me. Picture this¡ªI might just retrieve your friend and consume him right before your eyes. Yes, that''s the plan. Disclose the location of his lifeless body. It''s been a while since I''ve had a meal." - Alnik. "Train me," says Droit in an assertive, angry voice. "Do you not get what I am saying?" - Alnik, expressing frustration. "I don''t have time for this. Train me!" - Droit, resolute in his demand. "You little!" says Alnik, revealing irritation in his response. Droit is seething with anger, but it doesn''t faze Alnik. Holding Droit in his right hand, Alnik uses his left to grasp Droit''s shoulder and forcefully presses his thumb in. The moment his thumb pierces Droit''s shoulder, Droit swiftly draws out his right hand, and the bracelet in his grasp transforms into a synth once again. "I said train me!" Droit shouts as he forcefully slams the scythe into the ground, creating a shockwave that propels Alnik away from him. Alnik rises to witness Droit''s transformation. Droit wields the Scythe of Death in his right hand, his hair now stark white, and a dark aura emanates, shrouding everything behind him. Multiple snake-like shadows hover around him. Observing this, Melnik undergoes a transformation of his own. His entire body takes on a crimson hue, and every vein becomes apparent, radiating a blend of black and red, resembling flowing lava. His hair ignites in a fire-like display, and smoke billows from his mouth. Taking a single step forward, he seemingly disappears and reappears in front of Droit with a whoosh. Droit is unable to see him before Melnik seizes Droit''s face with his right hand, flinging him forcefully to the ground. Alnik restrains Droit on the ground, and just the touch of his hands causes Droit''s face to ignite with a burning sensation. "You dare throw me back? Did you think the Scythe of Death would be enough for me to listen to you? Know your place!" - Alnik, his voice laden with a menacing tone. "Do it! If I''m not strong enough, what good am I for anyway? I couldn''t do anything. Everyone around me is dying, and I''m unable to do anything." - Droit, his voice choked with emotion as tears stream down his face. His once-dark aura gradually dissipates, and his Scythe transforms back into the bracelet. Upon witnessing Droit''s tears, Alnik abandons him on the ground and shifts back into his human form. "Okay, I''ll train you! But, I have one condition." - Alnik. Droit stands up and asks, "Yes, tell me." "In return for my training. When I ask, you''ll kill me. No questions, no hesitation. That''s it." - Alnik. "It would be my pleasure." - Droit, confidently. "I don''t think you are getting the right idea. Killing me means killing Melnik too." - said Alnik, emphasizing the gravity of the condition. Droit takes a pause and rejects his condition. "Ask for anything else. Not this." - Droit, pushing back against the demand. "It''s this or you die now. It''s not like you have any other choice. So, tell me. You accept?" - Alnik, putting Droit on the spot. Droit believes he can agree for now and later devise a loophole in the agreement. Perhaps there''s a way to separate them, and then he''d only need to confront and deal with one of them. "I agree." - Droit. "Very well!" - Alnik. With his left hand, Alnik slices his right hand''s palm. "We will make a blood deal now. Draw blood from your hand." - Alnik. Droit bites the middle of his right hand and offers it to Alnik. They shake hands, and both of their blood evaporates, healing their hands in the process. "Can we start the training now?" - Droit. "First, draw your scythe and heal your face. It''s all burned." - Alnik. "I don''t know how to." - Droit. "Just bring it out. I''ll show you." - Alnik. "Like I said, I don''t know how to." - Droit, reiterating his uncertainty. "Great, you don''t know how to use the Scythe yet! I am already regretting my decision of training you. Oh, it''ll take so much time!" - Alnik. "Can''t you heal me?" - Droit. "No, I can only heal myself. Melnik can heal you. I will ask him to come out. Tell him to heal you and then take you to the training room at flat 501." - Alnik. "That''s where the sage lives, right?" - Droit. "Yeah, you are right. Oh, I see so you''ll ask the sage to bring your friend back? Don''t waste your time. He can''t bring back the dead." - Alnik. "No, but he can give me the heart of my friend, and that''s all I need to bring my friend back." - Droit. "Well, whatever suits you. Ask Melnik to take you to his training room, and we will start our training there." - Alnik. "Okay." - Droit. Alnik closes his eyes, and Melnik wakes up. "I knew it was a bad idea. Well, we can try something else. I''ll train you. I am just happy that you survived him two times." - Melnik. "Umm, actually, he agreed to the training and asked me to tell you to take me to flat 501 and bring me to the training room there." - Droit. Melnik is surprised that Alnik has consented. After healing Droit, he advises him to eat and rest today, emphasizing the need to build strength as training with Alnik will be challenging. "Yeah, I''ll go and rest. See you in a bit," Droit said, his voice wavering. He leaves the central area and descends into the church''s basement. Finding a secluded corner, he sits down, staring at his trembling hands. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down his face. He can''t fathom how his life has led him to such despair. His entire body shook as he placed his hands on his head and began to chant, "I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. Mom, Dad, help me. Save me from here. Someone help me. I can''t do this anymore. I want to go home. Mom!" The memories of home flood his mind. "Mom, I miss Mom. I miss eating her paneer sandwiches. I miss Dad, I miss his random hugs," he whispered, the shaking gradually subsiding. Drawing strength from these thoughts, he stood up, wiped his tears, and took a deep breath. "Huh, let''s do this," he said, determination replacing his despair. After the nap and bidding farewell to Sukomi, Droit, and Melnik make their way to flat 501. At the gate, Melnik turns to Droit, "Keep your mind calm, and let me do the talking." Droit nods in agreement, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Together, they step into the flat, ready to face the Sage inside. Droit and Melnik step into the room, Droit''s eyes scanning the space before him. The air is thick with the scent of incense, and the soft glow of candles illuminates the room like a warm embrace. Melnik, familiar with this place, smiles softly as he takes in the familiar surroundings. On the left side of the room, they notice an array of weapons hung on the wall: katana swords, nunchaku chains, and staffs of various lengths. The metal glints in the candlelight, casting a warm glow over the space. Straight ahead, a majestic tree rises from the floor, its branches stretching toward the ceiling like nature''s own cathedral. The trunk is sturdy and gnarled, with roots that seem to dig deep into the earth. To their right, three doors stand like sentinels, each one shrouded in mystery. Droit''s eyes linger on the three doors, his curiosity piqued by their mystery. And then, his eyes land on the figure seated beside the tree. A white monkey creature sits with an air of serenity, its lean physique radiating a sense of calm and wisdom. Its black eyes seem to bore into their very souls, as if it could see the depths of their hearts. The monkey''s right hand grasps a staff, worn and weathered from years of use. A flowing shawl covers its torso, billowing gently in the breeze that circulates through the room. The soft scent of sandalwood wafts up from the incense, mingling with the earthy aroma of the tree. The overall impression is one of ancient wisdom, as if this creature has mastered the balance between nature and humanity. Melnik approaches the Sage, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Hey, old man, how are you?" he says, bowing slightly. The Sage''s expression turns stern. "You! Why are you back here? I told you never to come back." Melnik holds up a hand in defense. "I know, I know. I''m not here to fight you. He is," he says, nodding towards Droit. The Sage raises an eyebrow. "Fight him? Who is he? I don''t fight puny humans." Melnik smiles. "Well, that''s the neat part. You don''t have to fight the puny human right now. I was thinking you could let him train here, and once he''s ready, he can challenge you to a fight." The Sage snorts. "And why do you think I''ll let him train here so that he can challenge me? I don''t see any caliber in him. It''s a no. Go back." Melnik persists. "Well, you won''t have to train him. Alnik will be training him," he said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. The Sage''s expression turns dark. "What? That devil? Is this boy also a demon? Why would Alnik train someone? He only wants to kill. And letting him train here means creating more like him. NO!" Melnik leans in. "Hey, you know we can bring Alnik into this discussion. And then you might listen?" The Sage''s eyes blaze with defiance. "Sure, I''ll die but will not allow you to push me around." Just as the tension seems to escalate, Droit steps forward. "Please let me be trained so that I can fight you," he says, his voice calm and determined. "I need you to fulfill my one wish. After that, we will leave you alone." The Sage raises an eyebrow. "What wish?" Droit''s eyes lock onto the Sage''s. "My friend has been turned into a lifeless zombie, and he needs his heart back to become human again. I have seen enough people die here and more than enough dead bodies. I can no longer live with myself if I don''t bring him back. He saved a little girl''s life by giving his own. Please help me." Melnik nods in support. "Believe me, Droit is a good person. He''s not like Alnik. We are trying to get out of here, and Dan is part of our team. We can''t leave him here in this hell." The Sage takes a deep breath, studying Droit intently before finally speaking. "Okay, you can train here." Droit''s face lights up with excitement. "Really?" "Yes," the Sage says, "but to train to your full potential, I''ll have to unlock your limiter first." Droit turned to Melnik, confusion etched on his face. "Limiter?" Melnik nods. "I told you, right? To achieve strength like mine, you have to evolve. Well, limiter stops you from that evolution or slow it down. Without the limiter, you can grow with unlimited potential." "Do you know how God created humans in his image?" the Sage asks a hint of mystery in his voice. "Well, it''s true that God is all-powerful, and we are not. But have you ever wondered why?" He leans in, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. "It''s because he placed a limiter on our ability to evolve or push past certain limits." Droit''s curiosity is piqued as the Sage continues, "Once that limiter is removed, humans can grow up to their full potential and even rival gods." "But removing the limiter alone won''t make you powerful," Sage emphasized. "You must push past your own limits and harness your inner strength." His gaze intensified. "And even if someone trains really hard, it''s not possible for anyone to become truly strong without a certain... je ne sais quoi. It all comes down to willpower, genetics, and a dash of fate." Sage pauses, letting the weight of his words sink in before adding, "There are only a handful of individuals who have managed to raise themselves to heights that can rival Gods and Devils. Alnik is one such example." "Is Alnik that powerful?" Droit asks, his voice tinged with apprehension. "You''ll soon find out. You''re going to be trained under him," Sage replies, a note of warning in his tone. "I pray for you. He is a demon. He might just kill you if he gets bored or something. Are you sure you want to do this?" "Yes. I don''t have any other option here," Droit says resolutely. "Well, alright. I''ll be needing a flat key from you then," Sage says. "The key? Why?" Droit questions, confusion furrowing his brow. "How do you think I remove the limiter? The key is not just a physical object. It holds great power inside it. It is literally holding a dimension together. To remove your limiter, I would need a key," Sage explains. "Sure, I have a key. Here," Melnik offers, reaching into his pocket. "That won''t do. Droit has to get his own key from a dimension by himself. Only then will I remove the limiter," Sage states firmly. "Are you kidding? He''ll die by himself," Melnik protests, his concern evident. "If he can''t get one key by himself, then it means he doesn''t deserve to get his limiter removed. I won''t be wasting an important key on just anybody. This he has to do," Sage insists. "No, he will not go alone," Melnik declares, his voice rising. "I''ll go," Droit interjects. "Thanks for worrying about me, Melnik, but he is right. I need to do this. And by the way, I was able to survive Alnik alone and the Stalker lady. So, I think I''ll do okay. Trust me." Melnik hesitates. He tries to talk Droit out of it, but Droit is resolute. "Do you have any flat in mind?" Droit asks Sage. "Go to flat 503. I haven''t been to it yet. Or you can go to any other on any floor," Sage suggests. "Hmm, okay," Droit agrees. "Alright, Melnik. I''ll see you soon," Droit says, giving Melnik a reassuring nod. With that, Droit exits the flat, determination in his stride. After Droit leaves, Sage turns to Melnik with a curious expression. "Where did you find him?" "He came to my dimension with a Mulier Insidians hunting him. That boy is something else; he survived the lady and Alnik all by himself. He even deduced how to bring me out," Melnik explains, a mix of admiration and concern in his voice. "Well, that is expected from someone like him," Sage responds thoughtfully. "Expected? Why?" Melnik asks, intrigued. "That boy has a death shard bound to his right arm. If Death himself deems him worthy, I believe he could be someone special. Personally, I don''t feel any energy from him; he seems like a normal boy. But I can trust Death''s consciousness. That''s why I send him to get the Key alone. He should get it easily," Sage explains. "Um, Death doesn''t deem him worthy. A death host does. And that too when he was out of Death''s influence. Basically, a human gave it to him," Melnik clarifies. "What? But he does survived Alnik and comes out unfazed. That means he should be worthy," Sage ponders aloud. "Unfazed? Who told you that?" Melnik questions. "He talked him into training him, which means Alnik also sees him as worthy. And that can only happen if he fought well when he first meets him," Sage reasons. "How can you be so wrong? Seriously, I thought you''d be smarter. When he meets Alnik, Alnik almost killed him. His body was torn apart, blood everywhere. Eyes removed and all. If he called me out a second later, he would have died," Melnik recounts. Sage smiles, looking up at the sky. "It means he has a long and hard road ahead filled with sadness and pain. But I feel he''ll do just fine." Outside Sage''s flat, Droit stands hesitantly in front of room 503, desperately hoping to find a human being inside and not something monstrous. "Oh God, please let there be someone human inside," Droit murmurs to himself. He pushes open the gate and steps into the flat. Surprisingly, the interior looks quite normal this time, similar in layout and architecture to Droit''s and Melnik''s own flats, albeit with disturbing bloodstains scattered around. The flat appears empty at first glance, with a hallway leading into a kitchen on the right, and two rooms straight ahead¡ªone to the left and another at the far end. "Hello?" Droit calls out, his voice a mixture of fear and faint hope. There is no response. He cautiously proceeds towards the rooms, recalling the Sage''s earlier words about finding no one here last time. "Maybe there really is nobody here. I''ll just have to search for the keys," he thinks to himself, relief washing over him. "Thank God. Thank you!" "Alright, let''s check out the rooms first," Droit says aloud, his nerves still on edge. SCENE BACK AT SAGE''S DIMENSION "Why did you send him to 503 if no one is there?" Melnik questions, his voice tinged with concern. "Who said no one is there?" Sage counters calmly. "You did. You said last time you went there it was empty," Melnik presses, seeking clarity. "Oh, that was a lie. That dimension wasn''t empty; there was someone there. But they didn''t harm me or confront me. Perhaps they sensed I could handle them and chose not to attack," Sage explains. "So, it could be someone harmless or weak?" Melnik asks, a glimmer of hope in his voice. "No, there was blood everywhere. Whoever is in that dimension is dangerous," Sage replies gravely. Horrified, Melnik responds, "Then why did you send him there? He could die. I need to go and save him." "If you leave now, I won''t fulfill any of your wishes¡ªwhether it''s training or matters of the heart," Sage warns sternly. "I told you, he has to face this challenge himself. We can''t waste a key on just anyone. You should be grateful I sent him somewhere he has a chance to survive. Who knows what dangers a random dimension holds? Do you?" Melnik falls silent, remaining seated before the Sage, consumed with worry. SCENE AT ROOM 503 Droit steps ahead towards the room. While crossing the hall, he notices the kitchen on the right. Glancing inside, he is horrified to find skeletons of babies, blood, and body parts strewn everywhere. He gags slightly. "What the FUCK!" Droit exclaims. He forces himself to ignore the gruesome scene and focuses on finding the key. He enters the room at the end of the hall. As expected, this room too is filled with multiple dead bodies of infants on the bed, skins on the wall, and blood and bones on the floor. However, at the front of the room, there is a painting on an easel stand. The painting catches Droit''s interest because it depicts his home dimension, specifically a park near his home. He stands still in front of the painting, confused. Suddenly, a woman appears behind him. Her entire body is cloaked in a black boshiya from head to toe, her face fused with the cloth, leaving only her red eyes and a mouth filled with bloody red spiky teeth visible. Her eyes burn with an intense, malevolent glow, and her mouth twists into a grotesque smile. The boshiya seems almost alive, writhing slightly as if it is part of her very being. With a blood-curdling scream, the woman lunges towards Droit. She crashes into him with incredible force, shoving him into the painting. Horrified by her appearance, Droit is pulled into the painting, feeling the world around him warp and distort as he is sucked into the image. Droit wakes up in the park, the familiar sounds of children playing around him. He recognizes this day immediately¡ªit was his last in Ashanagar before he left for Gurgaon for his job. The vivid memory of the monstrous woman throwing him into the painting floods his mind. "This can''t be real," Droit thinks, bewildered. "Is this a dream? Like that witch before? But this monster is different. Could I really be back home? No, that''s impossible. If I were back home, I should be in the present, not the past. I need to get out of here. What should I do?" He walks out of the park and heads towards his home. Standing before his house, he feels a mix of emotions. On one hand, he is deeply emotional at the thought of seeing his parents again, but on the other, he is terrified that there might be monsters inside, creatures disguised as his parents to hunt him. He¡¯s uncertain about what to do. He decides to test the reality by picking a fight with a stranger on the street. Spotting a man passing by, Droit slaps the back of his head. The man spins around, furious. "What is this? Why did you hit me?" the man demands. "Because I wanted to, and I know you''re a monster, so stop pretending," Droit replies defiantly. "Are you high? Scram! Fucking loser," the man retorts, walking away. Droit sighs in relief and rings his house''s doorbell. A middle-aged woman around 45 opens the door. She smiles warmly at him. "Arey, you''re back early. You missed me, right?" his mom says, pulling him into a hug. "Anyway, you should spend this time with us. Tomorrow you¡¯re leaving for work. Oh, my little baby is turning into a man," she says, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, Droit starts crying and hugs his mom as tightly as he can. He knows this isn¡¯t real, but just being able to see her again overwhelms him. "Hey, is everything okay? Why are you crying? Everyone has to move on with their life, Droit. And we¡¯re not going anywhere; you can visit anytime you want. Now, come on, stop crying. I¡¯ve prepared your favorite food for dinner," his mom says soothingly. They both go inside the house. It¡¯s a small, cozy home with a combined hall and kitchen and a bedroom on the right. Stairs lead to the first floor, where there are three more rooms. Droit''s room is upstairs. In the lobby, his dad sits on the sofa, watching the news. Droit rushes towards him and hugs him tightly, holding on for minutes. His dad hugs him back without asking questions, sensing that Droit is emotional about leaving home. After some time, they all eat dinner together, and Droit goes upstairs to his room, feeling a mix of relief and confusion. His room is pretty generic, with the bed placed opposite the entrance. On the left is a study table, and on the right, posters of music bands and anime cover the walls. Droit can''t fall asleep. It''s around 1am now. He glances at the door and notices a shadow forming in front of it. Heart pounding, Droit sits up, grabs his phone, and turns on the flashlight. Relief washes over him when he sees it''s just his tee shirt hanging behind the door. He switches off the flashlight and lies down again, but his eyes remain fixed on the shadow. Suddenly, the shadow shifts slightly. Droit tries to convince himself it''s just the fan''s breeze, but unease creeps in. He picks up his phone and turns the flashlight on again. His breath catches in his throat. The woman monster stands right in front of the door, her eyes locked onto his. Terror seizes him, and he jumps from lying down to kneeling in an instant. His heartbeat thunders in his ears. He keeps the flashlight trained on the woman, inching along the wall, desperate to maintain distance. The light switch is just to the right of the door. The woman remains still, her gaze fixed on him. Droit''s hands tremble as he reaches for the switch. He flips the light on and finds himself standing right beside her. His body shakes, sweat dripping down his forehead. With a deep breath, he musters all his courage and punches the woman. His fist passes through her as if she''s made of smoke. He punches again, but it''s the same. She isn''t real. She¡¯s a ghostly apparition. Droit stares at the ghostly figure, his heart racing. With a steely resolve, he steadies his voice and asks, "What do you want?" His gaze is unwavering, his face set in a mask of grim determination. *Silence* She doesn¡¯t reply or even move, only her eyes shifting to lock onto Droit with unblinking intensity. He feels the weight of her gaze, like a pressure on his chest. Unable to stand the oppressive silence, Droit leaves his room and heads down the hall. He collapses onto the sofa, face buried in his hands, his mind racing through desperate thoughts. What can he do? The darkness outside seems almost a relief from the suffocating presence he left behind. Frustration builds and he stands up, determined to escape. As he reaches the base of the stairs, he spots her again¡ªstanding at the foot of the stairs, her eyes deadlocked with his. A chill runs down his spine. There''s no escaping her. Droit decides to leave the house, stepping out into the street. He walks aimlessly, but wherever he stops, she¡¯s there, keeping her distance but never disappearing. It¡¯s clear now: he can¡¯t outrun her. Defeated, he returns to his room, the oppressive weight of her presence pushing him back inside. He opens his laptop, his hands trembling as he sets it on his thighs and faces the gate. The woman stands there, watching, her presence like a suffocating fog. Desperate, Droit starts searching: "woman monsters," "witches," and anything that matches her description. An hour slips by. As he scrolls through endless pages, he notices she¡¯s moved a little closer, her form less transparent than before. Panic rises as he recalls the baby carcasses he saw in her dimension. He starts searching for "baby and witches" and delves into theories involving dead babies. While searching he notices a sleek, long scar encircling his left wrist. He barely registers it, his mind too consumed with the urgent need to protect himself. Finally, he finds a match: "Infantem Comedentis Pythonissam"¡ªa ¡°baby eater witch.¡± It''s now 3AM. Droit is deep in his research, but he¡¯s shaking uncontrollably. The woman is closer, her form becoming more solid. It¡¯s clear she¡¯s slowly materializing, closing the gap between them. Each second brings her nearer. The urgency to act grows more desperate. Droit opens multiple browser tabs, each filled with information and blogs about her. He starts calling the authors one by one. Some answer, some don''t. Some dismiss her as fictional; others seem unhinged. The baby eater witch is now only six feet away. Desperate, Droit closes all his tabs and shuts down the browser, resigned to his fate. His gaze lands on a note in the top right corner of his screen: "Go here, house 32/11 block 2, Karmnagar." ¡°Where did this come from? I don¡¯t remember writing this before leaving for work. Who could have put it there?¡± Droit wonders, confusion knotting in his chest. Karmnagar is three hours away from his home. With few options left, Droit scribbles the address on a scrap of paper and dashes to the bus station. Exhausted, he collapses into his seat and falls asleep almost immediately. ¡°Sniff, sniff, hmm!¡± He jolts awake on the bus, only to find the baby eater Witch inches from his face. Her hand rests on his shoulder as she inhales deeply. Her tongue slithers out from behind her sharp, red teeth, licking his ear. In a chilling whisper, she murmurs, ¡°Not ripe yet!¡± With a swift, otherworldly motion, Droit''s world spins and he is yanked into the void. When he comes to, he finds himself walking down a road dressed in a school uniform. He stops and looks around, disoriented. Questions swirl in Droit''s mind. ¡°Why did she send me to the past? Why didn¡¯t she kill me? Why am I suddenly a teenager? What does ¡®not ripe yet¡¯ mean? Oh God, what do I do?¡± In a flash, he recalls the note and the address. ¡°Damn it, I have to get to Karmnagar,¡± Droit mutters, urgency and fear driving him forward. Droit glances around, searching for any sign of the witch, but she is nowhere to be seen. Feeling a brief sense of relief, he rushes home, changes his clothes, grabs his laptop, and stuffs it into a bag before hurrying to the bus stop. His bus departs at 2 PM, with an estimated arrival in Karmnagar by 5:30 PM. An hour into the journey, he notices a shadow outside the bus, standing still by the side of the road. Every time he looks out, the shadow remains at the same distance, unmoving and fixed in place. Droit realizes it¡¯s the witch, marking the start of her pursuit¡ªshe¡¯ll soon catch up and materialize. ¡°Will she send me back to the past again, or will she kill me this time?¡± Droit wonders, grappling with the meaning of her words, ¡°Not ripe yet.¡± She¡¯s aging him backward until he becomes a child, preparing him for her consumption. The weight of this realization floods him with sadness and fear. Suddenly, a 14-year-old girl sitting next to him breaks the silence with a question, ¡°Why is she following you?¡± ¡°You can see her?¡± Droit asks, astonished. ¡°Yes, and she looks hungry,¡± Anna replies. ¡°Well, she wants to eat me. But who are you, and why can you see her?¡± Droit questions. ¡°Hey, my name is Anna. I¡¯ve been able to see ghosts since I was born. So, why is she after you?¡± Anna asks. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I believe she¡¯s trying to make me regress in time until I¡¯m a baby so she can devour me. I found out she¡¯s called a baby eater witch,¡± Droit explains. ¡°Oh, my stop is coming up, but remember this sutra: ¡®bh¨±ta pis¨¡ca nika?a nahi? ¨¡vai, mah¨¡b¨©ra jaba n¨¡ma sun¨¡vai.¡¯ I think it¡¯ll help,¡± Anna says, handing him the phrase. ¡°Anna, come on, it¡¯s our stop,¡± calls her mom from the other side of the bus. ¡°I have soo many questions for you but, thanks! It was nice talking to someone about this,¡± Droit says gratefully. Anna smiles and exits the bus. Droit glances out the window again and sees that the shadow is no longer a mere silhouette; the witch is beginning to coalesce into her full, menacing form. Panic grips him as he starts chanting the sutra Anna gave him, repeating the words over and over in his mind as a desperate precaution. Droit finally arrives at the address as the clock nears 6 PM. Inside the house, a tense scene of exorcism unfolds. In one of the rooms, a girl of about ten years old is tied to a bed with ropes. A man kneels beside her, his face etched with worry, while a woman in her fifties stands at the foot of the bed. Dressed in a saffron saree, she holds a Rudraksha mala in her hands, chanting mantras over the girl with unwavering focus, her voice carrying the weight of an ancient ritual. Droit knocks on the door, and inside, the woman and man exchange a tense glance. The woman instructs the man to stay with the girl, saying, ¡°Do not talk to her or touch her, just keep praying,¡± before heading to the front door. When she opens it, Droit is standing there. ¡°Yes?¡± she asks, her voice guarded. ¡°Hi, my name is Droit. I know this is strange, but I found your address, and I think you can help me with a problem I¡¯m having,¡± Droit says, desperation creeping into his voice. ¡°This isn¡¯t a good time. Could you please come back tomorrow?¡± the woman replies, her tone firm. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have until tomorrow. A witch is after me, and she¡¯s getting closer by the minute. I don¡¯t know if you can help, but I have nowhere else to turn,¡± Droit pleads. The woman¡¯s expression shifts slightly. ¡°A witch? Alright, come inside, but there¡¯s an exorcism happening right now. Please stay in the hall, and I¡¯ll speak with you once it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Sure, thank you,¡± Droit responds, stepping inside. Droit steps into the house, taking in his surroundings. To his left, a staircase leads to the floor above. To his right, he can sense the intensity of the exorcism happening in a room just beyond the doorway. Directly ahead lies the living room, seamlessly connected to the kitchen. The entire house is adorned with paintings and relics, each piece adding to the atmosphere of history and mystery that fills the space. ¡°You go ahead and sit in the living room. And please, don¡¯t try to enter the room on your right,¡± the woman instructs before heading back. Droit nods and moves to the living room, settling into a chair where he has a clear view of the staircase and the room¡¯s door. Moments later, he watches as the woman re-enters the room. Suddenly, she¡¯s violently thrown out, crashing into the hallway wall. Almost immediately, a man bolts from the room and dashes up the stairs in a panic. Droit¡¯s breath catches as a child¡¯s head slowly peeks out from the room. Her hair hangs in tangled strands over her face, but through the dark veil, one eye¡ªits pupil a chilling grey¡ªlocks onto him. She stares at him, her lips curling into a sinister grin, revealing brown, decaying teeth. After a moment that feels like an eternity, she drops to all fours and scampers up the stairs with unnatural speed. On the floor above, there are three rooms with a shared washroom in between. One room is directly ahead at the top of the stairs, while the other two are straight ahead, connected to each other. Room 1 faces the stairs, Room 2 is connected to the right, and Room 3 is on the left, linked to Room 2. The man, now trembling with fear, hides inside an almirah in Room 2. He can hear footsteps approaching, growing louder as they draw nearer. Then, they stop suddenly, right outside his hiding place. Meanwhile, downstairs, the woman lies unconscious at the base of the stairs. Droit rushes to her side, gently shaking her until she regains consciousness. ¡°The man and the kid¡ªthey¡¯re upstairs,¡± Droit tells her urgently. The woman struggles to her feet, her face pale but determined. ¡°Stay down here and hide somewhere, or better get out of the house,¡± she instructs Droit before turning to ascend the stairs, her resolve hardened despite the danger waiting above. The man remains huddled in the almirah, his breath shallow and rapid. With trembling hands, he slightly cracks open one of the doors to peek out. He spots the woman entering Room 1 and slowly making her way toward Room 2. Panic surges through him, and he starts to push the door open wider, but she quickly raises her hand, signaling him to stay put. His heart pounds as he looks up and sees the kid perched just above the almirah, her grey eyes locked onto the door. Her tongue hangs out, saliva dripping onto the top of the almirah. She notices the woman standing in the doorway and lets out a chilling laugh, before dropping onto the almirah and scurrying into the third room. The woman moves swiftly to the man, whispering urgently, ¡°Run to me, now.¡± He stumbles out of the almirah and rushes toward her. ¡°Go downstairs and hide,¡± she instructs, her voice firm but low, as she pushes him toward the staircase. The woman stands frozen at the entrance of the third room. Beyond, it''s a void of pitch-black darkness, broken only by a faint sliver of light spilling in from the second room behind her. She hesitates, her foot hovering just at the edge of the light before stepping inside, still bathed in its fragile glow. Slowly, she pulls out her Rudraksha mala, her fingers trembling as she begins to chant softly in Sanskrit. "Tap... tap..." A sound¡ªsoft but distinct¡ªechoes from the abyss. Her breath catches. It comes again, seconds apart, the silence in between suffocating. She stills, straining to catch its source, her heart thundering in her ears. Then, without warning, the tapping quickens, a frenzy of noise like frantic footsteps rushing towards her. It¡¯s coming closer. Too close. Her chest tightens, fear clawing at her. Just as it seems like something is about to leap at her from the shadows, the noise abruptly stops. The woman¡¯s breath shudders out, her eyes finally adjusting to the darkness. Shapes begin to form¡ªa vague outline of the room, the walls, the corners. She takes a cautious step forward when a chill grazes her neck. A breath. Her body stiffens. The kid is behind her. She¡¯s sure of it now, hiding in the shadows, waiting. Suddenly, she feels the impact¡ªa forceful kick slams into her, sending her stumbling forward. She barely catches herself, turning just in time to see the kid sprinting toward the man, her limbs contorting as she moves on both legs and arms like some twisted creature. The man, wide-eyed with terror, bolts for the stairs but stumbles, tumbling down to the foot of the staircase. He turns, only to see the kid mid-air, launching herself down the stairs, claws outstretched, an unsettling smile spreading across her face. The woman races after them, heart hammering in her chest. As she reaches the top of the stairs, her breath catches¡ªDroit stands there, calm and composed, gripping the child by the neck with ease. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Where should I put her?" Droit asks, his voice cold. The woman stares in disbelief, momentarily stunned. Quickly shaking off her shock, she rushes down the stairs, pulling the Rudraksha mala from her pocket. Without hesitation, she loops it around the child''s neck. Instantly, the kid¡¯s body goes limp, her eyes fluttering closed as she falls into a deep sleep. "Thanks," the woman exhales, her voice barely above a whisper. "I¡¯ll take it from here." Hours later, she steps out of the room, the child¡ªnow freed¡ªwalking alongside her, holding her father¡¯s hand. The man nods his gratitude, his face lined with relief as they leave together, disappearing into the night. The clock strikes midnight. Droit sits on the worn sofa, his eyes locked on a figure in the corner¡ªsilent, looming, and unmistakably sinister. The witch, now visible to him in full clarity, stands at the threshold of the room, her dark presence creeping closer. She¡¯s inside now. The woman strides toward him, her eyes scanning the room, though oblivious to the supernatural entity stalking ever nearer. "So, tell me," she says, her voice steady but curious, "how can I help you? And why do you even need help?" Droit leans forward, his voice low. "Like I told you, there¡¯s a witch after me. She¡¯s getting closer by the minute. She¡¯s already in your house. I think she¡¯s called the *Infantem Comedentis Pythonissam*¡­ or Baby-Eater Witch." The woman raises an eyebrow, her skepticism flickering. "Where is she? I don¡¯t see anything." "Yeah, that¡¯s the thing," Droit replies, his tone weary. "Only I can see her. She got me once when I was 22¡ªsent me back in time." The woman¡¯s brow furrows. "Back in time?" she murmurs, half to herself. "Why would she send you back?" Droit shrugs, his gaze never leaving the witch. "She¡¯s trying to eat me, but there¡¯s a catch. She can only devour me if I¡¯m an infant. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve gathered so far." "Huh," the woman muses, tapping her fingers against her Rudraksha mala. "You might be right. Alright, where is she? Point me toward her." Droit gestures subtly, guiding her eyes to the dark corner where the witch now looms, almost fully materialized. The woman narrows her eyes and pulls out her mala, starting to chant. Her voice fills the room with ancient verses, but the witch remains unmoved. Not a flicker of response. Next, she fetches a small vial of *Gangajal*, the sacred water glittering in the light, and flings it toward the witch. But the droplets pass through her, as if she¡¯s nothing more than a shadow. Frustration gnaws at the woman¡¯s expression. She draws a protective circle around Droit, gesturing for him to step inside. The chalk lines glow faintly as the witch inches closer, her form solidifying, her grotesque features becoming clearer. Droit watches her, a resigned smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I don¡¯t think this is gonna work. I appreciate your efforts, but¡­ I think this is it for me." Before the woman can respond, the doorbell rings. "Ding-dong." She hesitates, glancing from Droit to the door. The tension in the air is thick as she walks toward it. Opening the door, she finds another woman standing on the porch. The woman at the door, her face tense with urgency, speaks quickly. "Hey, my name is Aditi. I''m here to see Droit. It¡¯s important." Viha hesitates, her hand gripping the doorframe. "Umm, hey. My name is Viha. How do you know him?" Aditi glances past her, eyes darting into the house as though time itself is slipping away. "It¡¯s a long story, but I need to tell him something urgent. Can I please come in? I¡¯m already late." Something in her voice, the edge of desperation, makes Viha step aside. As Aditi enters, her gaze falls on Droit, sitting inside the protective circle. She doesn¡¯t waste a second. "You can come out of there. Only your mother can save you," she says. Droit¡¯s eyes narrow, confusion and suspicion blending in his expression. "Sorry, what? Who are you?" "Aditi," she says, her voice softening. "You sent me here. You came to my door in 2010 to help me with the witch." Viha¡¯s brow furrows as the pieces begin to fall into place. "From 2010... so you were telling the truth. You¡¯ve been traveling back in time." Droit¡¯s expression tightens, urgency creeping into his voice. "Aditi, can you please tell me more about how I can save myself?" A shadow flickers across Aditi¡¯s face. "A woman once told me that only a mother can save her child from the witch. No one else has any power over her. Apparently, she saved her own child years ago... But in 2010, you came to my door to help me. You were too late¡ªthe witch had already taken my baby." The room falls silent. A sadness, heavy and thick, blankets both Droit and Viha. Droit¡¯s voice is quiet when he speaks again. "I¡¯m sorry to hear that. I wish I could¡¯ve done something." Aditi takes a breath, her eyes pleading. "Maybe you still can. You told me to come here tonight, to this address. I¡¯m late, thanks to traffic, but if there¡¯s a chance, please... try to save my child this time." Droit nods grimly. "I¡¯ll do my best. The witch is close¡ªtoo close. I might be pulled into 2010 any minute now. Please, tell me your address." Before Aditi can respond, Viha interrupts, her voice sharp. "Wait. First, tell me¡ªhow did you know to come here today?" "There was a note," Droit answers, his eyes flickering with realization. "It was on my home screen. Your address and a command: ¡®Come here.¡¯" Viha¡¯s gaze darkens as she steps forward. "Then you need to write that note first, or none of this will happen." Droit¡¯s face pales as the truth sinks in. "Oh no... you¡¯re right." His hands scramble for his laptop. "If I don¡¯t add the note, I¡¯ll never come here in the future." "Exactly!" Viha snaps. "Our future is your past. If you don¡¯t do this now, everything falls apart." Droit¡¯s fingers fly across the keyboard, his breath shallow, heart pounding. He types the message¡ªViha¡¯s address and the instruction to come. "Now," he says, looking up, "please tell me your address, Aditi. I don¡¯t have much time. The witch is almost fully manifested." Aditi, eyes wide with the pressure of the moment, quickly rattles off her address. Droit closes his eyes, committing it to memory. But even as she speaks, a voice slithers into his ear¡ªcold, menacing. "Not ripe yet." The witch¡¯s words chill him to the bone, her presence a dark whisper in his mind. Droit focuses, his breath shallow as Aditi hurriedly recites her address. He listens intently, committing every word to memory. Just as the final syllable of her address fades into the air, a cold force grips him. The world around him begins to blur and warp, and in a heartbeat, Droit is yanked backward¡ªback into the past once again. Droit snaps back to reality, finding himself once again in his living room, a video game controller in hand, the familiar glow of the TV screen flickering in front of him. A plate of sandwiches and a glass of Coke sit nearby¡ªhis typical gaming snack. The clock on the wall reads around 12 PM. But there¡¯s no time to relax. Droit jolts upright, the urgency of his mission crashing back into his mind. He needs to get to Karamnagar, where Aditi lives. Without a second thought, he rushes toward the door but halts in his tracks. Bus fare. He¡¯ll need money. He hurries to the kitchen, where his mom is chopping vegetables. "Mom, can I have 500 rupees?" Droit asks, trying to keep his voice steady. His mom glances at him, eyebrow raised. "500? For what?" "I need to buy a new game," Droit says, the lie tumbling out too easily. "You just bought a new game yesterday. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to wait. No more games for a month." "Mom, please!" His voice tightens with desperation, but she¡¯s already turning back to her task. "I¡¯m busy. Go finish your sandwiches." Frustrated but undeterred, Droit marches out to the garage where his dad is washing his scooter. "Dad," he starts, trying to sound casual. His dad glances up. "Yes?" "Can I get 500 rupees? I need a new game¡ªthe one I bought isn¡¯t that good." His dad chuckles, wiping his hands on a rag. "Didn¡¯t you just get that one? Give it some time." "Dad, please. I promise I won¡¯t ask for another game the whole year. Just this once!" After a moment, his dad sighs and reaches into his wallet. "Alright, here. But don¡¯t tell your mom." Droit grabs the money and bolts toward the door, his heart racing. Behind him, his dad shakes his head with a smile and returns to washing the scooter. But Droit¡¯s mind is already far from the garage¡ªevery second brings him closer to Karamnagar, and the witch waiting in the shadows. Droit reaches the bus station, heart pounding in his chest. He spots the first bus heading to Karamnagar and hops on without hesitation. It¡¯s going to be a three-hour ride. He settles into a seat next to a middle-aged man, the air thick with the scent of diesel and dust. Nervously, Droit takes the crumpled money from his pocket and buys his ticket from the conductor. The man next to him glances at Droit, noting his young age but says nothing at first. The bus jolts to life, rumbling as it pulls out of the station. Droit stares out the window, his eyes scanning for any sign of the witch, though the man has the window seat, partially obstructing his view. "Do you want the window seat, son?" the man asks, his voice kind but curious. "Umm, no. Thanks," Droit replies, glancing over briefly before turning back to his thoughts. "You traveling alone? It¡¯s not safe for a kid to be alone on a long trip like this," the man continues. Droit, tense and on edge, quickly crafts a lie. "My dad dropped me off, and my aunt is picking me up at Karamnagar. So it¡¯s fine." But the man¡¯s eyes narrow slightly¡ªhe¡¯d seen Droit enter the bus station by himself. The lie doesn¡¯t sit right. "Okay, just checking. But if you need any help, let me know. You¡¯re not running away from home, are you?" the man asks, his tone still friendly but probing. "No!" Droit snaps, irritation creeping into his voice. "Like I said, my aunt¡¯s picking me up. Please, just drop it." The man studies Droit for a moment, noting his mature tone. "You sound older than you look. Do you live alone?" "No. And my mom told me not to talk to strangers on the bus, so can I just sleep, please?" Droit says, trying to shut down the conversation. The man chuckles lightly. "Fair enough. I¡¯m just looking out for you. I¡¯ll make sure your aunt picks you up at the station." Droit gives a half-hearted nod, too drained to argue further. Something about the man seems decent, maybe even fatherly, but Droit can¡¯t afford to trust anyone right now. He leans back, shutting his eyes and letting the exhaustion pull him into sleep. A few hours later, the man nudges him awake. "Hey, wake up. We¡¯re here." Droit blinks groggily, his eyes focusing as he looks out the window. His stomach drops¡ªthere, in the distance, stands the witch. She¡¯s not close yet, but her dark silhouette looms, her eyes locked on him. Droit swallows hard and steps off the bus. He heads to a small shop at the station, asking the shopkeeper for directions to Aditi¡¯s address. As the shopkeeper explains, Droit feels a presence behind him¡ªthe man from the bus. He hadn¡¯t even realized the man was still following him. Unease curls in his gut, but he pushes it aside. After getting the directions, he starts walking toward the city bus stop. The man follows. "Where are you going? Where¡¯s your aunt?" the man calls after him. Droit clenches his fists. "Sir, please just leave me alone. I¡¯m going to her house. I¡¯ll be fine." The man doesn¡¯t respond, simply watches him walk away. Droit breathes a little easier, but when he glances back a few minutes later, he sees the man is still following him, his pace quickening. Panic sparks in Droit¡¯s chest. He turns down a side street and begins to run, weaving through narrow alleyways, the market stalls blurring past him. But the man is running after him, his footsteps pounding against the cobblestones. Droit¡¯s lungs burn as he rounds another corner, but the man is gaining. Desperate, Droit skids to a halt, spinning around to face him. "What is your problem? Leave me alone!" Droit yells, his voice echoing in the empty street. The man¡¯s face twists with anger, a sneer curling his lips. "Shut the hell up, kid. Is that how you talk to your elders?" The shift in tone freezes Droit in place. The man¡¯s eyes are no longer kind, and suddenly, the deserted street feels much more dangerous. Droit¡¯s heart pounds as he realizes they¡¯re completely alone. Before Droit can react, the man¡¯s hand flies out, slapping him hard across the face. Pain explodes in his cheek as he¡¯s shoved against a nearby wall. "What are you doing? Leave me alone!" Droit shouts, trying to scramble away, but the man¡¯s grip is iron. In a flash, the man pulls out a cloth and presses it hard against Droit¡¯s mouth. A sickly sweet smell invades Droit¡¯s senses, his limbs growing heavy. He struggles, but the world is already fading, his body going limp as the darkness swallows him whole. Droit jolts awake, the cold air of the abandoned factory biting into his skin. His wrist is shackled, only one arm bound, and the weight of the metal feels suffocating. He¡¯s not alone¡ªfour other kids are chained beside him, making five in total, including Droit. Two men stand in front of the first kid in line. Droit, at the end of the row, blinks hard, trying to shake off the blur clouding his vision. His head throbs, and the scene before him feels like a nightmare he can¡¯t escape. A sudden scream rips through the air, dragging him fully into consciousness. The first kid in line writhes, his mouth a gory mess. Droit rubs his eyes, focusing on the horrifying scene¡ªthe man has just cut out the boy''s tongue. Panic spreads like wildfire as all the kids, including Droit, begin to scream in terror. The second man, the one who captured Droit, notices him stirring. "Start with him," he growls, jerking his head toward Droit. "He¡¯s got a smart mouth. Teach him a lesson." The first man sighs in annoyance, ignoring the suggestion. He unchains the first kid, the boy now whimpering through his mutilated mouth, blood dripping onto the floor. Droit¡¯s vision sways again, the sight of the blood making his stomach churn. He fights to stay conscious, but the edges of his world begin to blur. He watches helplessly as the second man drags the freed kid toward a room at the back. The factory fills with desperate pleas as the other kids beg for mercy, but the first man remains cold, knife in hand. Droit sits frozen in shock. His mind races¡ªAditi¡¯s child. He needs to save Aditi¡¯s child. But how? What can he do, shackled and powerless? He looks up at the distant, broken ceiling and silently prays, pleading with God to save him, to save them all. His hope feels fragile, just like the faint figure of the witch he glimpses far in the distance, watching him. Suddenly, another scream pierces the air. The second boy¡¯s tongue is gone too. One by one, the kids are dragged off, their voices silenced in bloody agony. Droit¡¯s heart pounds as the first man turns toward the fourth kid, knife in hand. But then, a phone rings. "Anil, leave the kids. We have to go," the first man says, glancing at the phone. "Is it time already?" Anil responds, his voice gruff. "Yeah, let¡¯s move." Without another word, they abandon the kids, leaving Droit and the last boy shackled and terrified, alone in the suffocating silence of the factory. Droit''s eyes catch a glint of metal¡ªa saw, just within reach. His heart races as he stretches his arm, fingers grazing the tool before finally gripping it. Without wasting a second, he pulls it toward his chain and begins sawing frantically. Five minutes pass, his wrist trembling with the effort, but the chain remains stubborn, not even a scratch. Panic starts to rise, and with each desperate slide of the saw, a darker thought takes root in his mind: **I might have to cut off my hand.** His breath quickens, dread creeping in. And then, like a sudden strike of lightning, a memory surfaces. He remembers the first time he was yanked into the past¡ªhe had noticed a scar around his wrist but hadn¡¯t given it much thought. Now it hits him like a punch to the gut. Terror tightens its grip as he realizes the horrifying truth: **he will cut off his hand, and that''s how the scar appeared.** But another memory follows¡ªthe future. **He had both hands in the future.** Somehow, he must restore it. But knowing this doesn¡¯t ease the terror clenching his insides. His stomach churns, bile rising, and he sits frozen, unable to imagine going through with it. For minutes, he just sits there, paralyzed, the witch still watching him from a distance, her eyes cold and unwavering. He looks around, desperate for anything that might help. Something to stop the bleeding if¡ªwhen¡ªhe makes the cut. A length of metal wire catches his eye. He grabs it, shakily tying it around his wrist, his mind numb with fear. He takes a deep breath, the saw hovering just above his skin, and then, with a sudden burst of courage, he begins to cut. The first slice of the blade sends agony ripping through him. He screams, his voice echoing off the factory walls, but he doesn¡¯t stop. His hand shakes as he wedges his shoe between his teeth, biting down hard, and returns to sawing. His eyes blur with tears, his vision swimming, but he keeps going, sliding the saw through flesh and bone, inch by agonizing inch. His breath comes in ragged gasps, eyes bloodshot and wild. The pain is unbearable, his mind teetering on the edge of collapse. Just when the world begins to fade around him, Droit slaps his own face, forcing himself back to consciousness. Panting, drenched in sweat, he finally breaks free. The chain clatters to the floor. His severed hand dangles, but he doesn''t look at it. He can¡¯t. Droit stumbles to his feet, blood rushing in his ears. He turns to the last kid, eyes wide with fear. "Wait for help," he whispers, his voice hoarse. Then, without looking back, he runs¡ªblood trailing behind him as he bolts out of the factory, into the cold unknown. Droit stumbles out of the factory, his vision hazy, legs trembling, but he forces himself forward. The empty road stretches ahead, a lonely path of cracked pavement beneath a dull sky. He doesn¡¯t dare slow down, his feet pounding against the ground, eyes scanning the distance for any sign of help. His severed hand, hastily wrapped in wire, throbs with every heartbeat. After running for what feels like an eternity¡ªnearly a kilometer¡ªhe finally stumbles into a bustling street. The contrast is jarring, people going about their day as if his world hasn¡¯t just collapsed. Gasping, Droit staggers up to the nearest person, pleading for help. A man notices him, his face contorting in shock as he rushes toward Droit, catching him before he collapses. "What happened?" the man asks, voice tight with alarm. Droit, his words barely coherent, tells him everything in a hurried breath¡ªthe factory, the kids, the men with knives. "You have to help them," he begs, his voice cracking. "Go back. The kids are still there." The man, his eyes wide, shouts to the crowd, waving others over. A small group gathers, murmuring in confusion, but when they hear Droit¡¯s story, they spring into action. Several rushes off toward the factory while the man stays behind, cradling Droit¡¯s limp form. "You need a hospital," the man says urgently, lifting Droit with ease. "You¡¯ve lost too much blood." "Wait!" Droit gasps, his hand clutching at the man¡¯s sleeve. "I don¡¯t have time... take me to my aunt. Her house is close. She¡¯ll know what to do." His voice is desperate, his vision blurring again. "No, no!" the man protests, shaking his head. "We¡¯ll call her from the hospital. You need immediate help." "Please," Droit pleads, breathless. "This is her address¡ªshe¡¯s a nurse. She¡¯ll take care of me. It¡¯s nearby." He struggles to form the words, the address tumbling from his lips like a lifeline. The man hesitates but sees the determination in Droit¡¯s eyes. With a quick nod, he rushes to a nearby shop, buys an ice case, and gently places Droit¡¯s severed hand inside. Then, without wasting another moment, he flags down an auto rickshaw. They speed through the busy streets, weaving between cars and pedestrians, heading straight for Droit¡¯s aunt¡¯s house. Each second feels like an eternity, Droit fighting to stay conscious, hoping they reach her in time. *Knock Knock.* Aditi opens the door, cradling her infant in her arms, confusion etched across her face as she sees a man standing with a boy whose arm is sealed off with a crude metal wire. The sight unsettles her. "What do you want?" she asks, cautious. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Nitin,¡± the man blurts out, glancing at Droit. ¡°This boy, Droit¡ªhe was abducted. Please, you need to take care of him. He needs to be hospitalized, like, right now.¡± Aditi¡¯s eyes narrow, her posture stiffening. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what are you talking about? Who are you? Is this some kind of scam? If you¡¯re here to beg for money, I¡¯m calling the police.¡± Before Nitin can respond, Droit steps forward, his voice urgent. ¡°I¡¯m not here to scam you. I¡¯m here to help. Your child is in danger, and I know about the witch.¡± Aditi freezes, gripping her baby tighter. ¡°How... how do you know that? Who are you?¡± Droit ignores her question, turning to Nitin. "Thank you for bringing me here," he says quietly, signaling that Nitin should leave. But Nitin doesn¡¯t budge. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? You don¡¯t even know her, and you refused to go to the hospital. I¡¯m not leaving until I get the truth.¡± Droit turns back to Aditi, his face serious. ¡°Can we please come inside?¡± Aditi hesitates, her mind racing. Strangers at her door, but the boy¡ªhe knows about the witch. The thing she¡¯s been dealing with alone for months. Reluctantly, she steps aside, letting them in. Once inside, Nitin holds up the ice case. ¡°Can you put this in your freezer?¡± he asks. Aditi takes it absentmindedly, too distracted by everything to think about what might be inside. As she heads to the kitchen, Droit speaks again, his tone more urgent. ¡°You know you can kill the witch, right?¡± Aditi spins around, eyes wide. ¡°Yes, but she knows that. She doesn¡¯t come near when I¡¯m around him.¡± ¡°So, you keep your child with you all the time?¡± Droit asks. Aditi¡¯s frustration boils over. ¡°Who are you? Why do you talk like that? What happened to your hand? I need answers!¡± Nitin crosses his arms, also demanding an explanation. Droit exhales, knowing there¡¯s no easy way to explain. ¡°Okay, this is going to sound insane, but I¡¯m from the future. You came to me in the future and asked for my help.¡± Aditi raises an eyebrow, disbelief clear on her face. ¡°Why would I ask a 10-year-old for help? And how would a kid have a time machine? What is this, a joke?¡± Nitin, equally confused, speaks up. ¡°What¡¯s this witch you¡¯re talking about?¡± Droit¡¯s expression turns serious. ¡°There¡¯s a witch after her child, and only she can stop it. I¡¯m here to help her.¡± Aditi stares at him, her mind spinning. ¡°How... how do you know all this? Am I going crazy?¡± Nitin interjects, "This is real. He told me you were his aunt¡ªhe knew your address, everything." Aditi looks at Droit, her hands trembling. ¡°What... what is this?¡± Droit begins explaining, recounting how he got trapped in the past, his encounters with the witch, and his knowledge of Aditi¡¯s situation. Both Aditi and Nitin listen, disbelief slowly giving way to dread. Nitin, still skeptical, chuckles nervously. ¡°This has to be some kind of prank, right? Am I being recorded? The severed hand in that ice case¡ªit¡¯s a prop, right?¡± Droit sighs, exhausted. ¡°Go check for yourself.¡± Nitin heads to the kitchen, pops open the case, and lets out a piercing scream. ¡°Oh my God! This is real!¡± Aditi¡¯s face drains of color. ¡°Wait¡ªthere¡¯s a hand in there? Who asks someone to put a severed hand in their fridge? Are you insane?¡± she shouts at Nitin. Nitin snaps back, ¡°He refused to go to the hospital! What do you want me to do? You don¡¯t want it in your fridge? Fine! Let¡¯s just toss it in the trash!¡± Aditi glares at him. ¡°Of course, it can stay in the fridge, but how do you expect me to be okay with this?¡± Droit interrupts, his voice cutting through the argument. ¡°Can we focus? We only have hours left. My witch is already inside the house.¡± The room goes dead silent. Both Aditi and Nitin slowly turn toward Droit, fear seeping into their expressions. They quietly sit down on the sofa, processing everything. Droit¡¯s eyes harden. ¡°We need a plan, and we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Droit¡¯s words hang heavy in the air as Aditi and Nitin exchange a tense glance. The baby in Aditi¡¯s arms shifts, and she holds him closer, uncertainty clouding her face. ¡°We need a plan,¡± Droit repeats, his voice steady but urgent. ¡°The witch is here. She¡¯ll come for the baby when she thinks you¡¯re not around.¡± Aditi shakes her head, her nerves fraying. ¡°You want me to leave my baby? Alone? With her out there?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t come if you¡¯re near him. That¡¯s why you need to step away. Let her think she has a chance,¡± Droit says firmly. Nitin, sitting beside him, shifts uneasily. ¡°Wait, so we¡¯re just supposed to sit here, baiting her?¡± Droit nods. ¡°We¡¯ll be the bait. When she comes for the baby, you¡¯ll need to hold her down, and Aditi can kill her.¡± Aditi paces, clutching her baby, her mind racing. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. What if she comes and I¡¯m not fast enough?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fast enough,¡± Droit says. ¡°You have to be. It¡¯s the only way.¡± After a long, agonizing moment, Aditi finally stops pacing. She looks at her child, then at Droit. ¡°If this goes wrong... if anything happens to him¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect him,¡± Droit promises, his eyes locking with hers. ¡°I won¡¯t let her take him.¡± Nitin stands up, rubbing his hands nervously. ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s say we do this. How do we... hold down a witch? I¡¯m just a guy, man. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m dealing with here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Droit says, though the uncertainty in his voice doesn¡¯t escape Nitin. ¡°Just trust me.¡± Aditi takes a deep breath and nods. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go into the other room, out of sight. If the witch comes, I¡¯ll be ready.¡± With a heavy heart, Aditi hands the baby to Nitin. The child stirs but doesn¡¯t cry, as if sensing the danger. Droit watches Aditi leave, the tension thick in the room. Droit''s eyes are scanning the room. ¡°She¡¯ll come soon. Stay close, but don¡¯t panic. When she shows up, grab her. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Nitin nods, though fear is etched across his face. Minutes stretch into agonizing silence, the air heavy with dread. The house feels colder, shadows lengthening unnaturally as if the walls themselves are closing in. Then, a sound¡ªa faint whisper, like the wind, brushing against the windows. Nitin¡¯s grip tightens on the baby, his eyes darting toward the door. ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Droit whispers. Nitin stands in the middle of the room by the sofas, his eyes fixated on a shadowy corner. Something feels off¡ªit''s noon, sunlight pouring through the windows, and there shouldn¡¯t be any shadows. His heart skips a beat as he realizes what¡¯s happening. Before he can react, the witch emerges from the darkness. She moves with unnatural speed, grabbing Nitin by the throat and slamming him against the wall. His breath catches as her cold fingers tighten around his neck, lifting him off the floor effortlessly. His grip on the baby weakens, his fingers trembling, until the child slips from his hands. The witch catches the baby with ease, her long, gnarled fingers curling around the tiny form. Nitin, eyes wide in terror, tries to fight back, but he¡¯s paralyzed by fear. Droit, watching the scene unfold, grabs the nearest object¡ªa teacup from the table¡ªand hurls it at the witch with all his strength. The cup shatters against her, causing her to pause. She turns her head slowly, locking eyes with Droit. For a moment, the air stills. The witch doesn¡¯t move. She stares at Droit as if recognizing him, a flicker of something dark and knowing in her eyes. Then, her face twists in rage. She screeches, a bone-chilling sound, and lunges toward Droit. But just as she¡¯s about to reach him, Aditi bursts into the room, sprinting toward the witch with a knife in hand. Seeing her, the witch snarls, then turns and dives into the wall, vanishing into the shadows as if she were never there. The baby vanishes with her. "My baby! Where is my baby?" Aditi screams, her voice breaking as she cradles empty air. She collapses to the floor, tears streaming down her face. Droit is slumped near the sofa, eyes hollow as he watches her. Guilt floods his chest, crushing him. He took this risk, believing he could change the past, but deep down, he always knew. He was never meant to save the baby. His head drops, and silent tears hit the floor. ¡°She¡¯s back,¡± Nitin whispers, his voice trembling with fear. Aditi goes quiet, her sobs halting as she turns to look behind Droit and the sofa. Droit lifts his head, and there she is¡ªhis witch. The one who¡¯s been after him from the beginning, her form almost fully materialized. He can feel it¡ªtime slipping away. She¡¯s only minutes from sending him back to be a baby. "You can see her too, Nitin?" Droit asks, his voice shaky. ¡°Yeah... behind you,¡± Nitin replies, barely able to speak. "Behind me?" Droit slowly turns, his heart pounding in his chest. Standing right there, full of rage and malice, is the present witch¡ªthe one who has hounded him through time. The baby is still clutched in her arms, her eyes burning with vengeance. Without a word, she throws herself onto Droit, slashing at him viciously with her claws. Her shrieks echo through the room, filled with a hatred deeper than time itself. Her strikes tear into Droit''s skin, leaving gashes across his body as he cries out in pain. Nitin rushes forward, but the witch¡¯s furious stare freezes him in place, paralyzed with terror. The witch grabs Droit by the throat, lifting him off the ground, choking the life out of him. Her hands are like icy death, squeezing tighter as blood trickles from his neck. The light in Droit¡¯s eyes begins to dim, his strength fading. Suddenly, Aditi grabs the witch from behind, wrapping her arm around the witch¡¯s throat. The witch shrieks, thrashing as she tries to free herself, slashing wildly at Aditi¡¯s arm with one hand while clutching the baby in the other. But Aditi holds on, her grip unyielding. Nitin springs into action, grabbing the witch''s legs, and forcing her down. Together, they struggle against her violent fury, managing to slam her to the floor. Droit, barely conscious, forces himself up and grabs the witch¡¯s other arm, pinning her down. The witch is now subdued, but she clings to the baby with a desperate grip, refusing to let go even in her defeat. "Quickly now!" Droit gasps, nodding at Aditi. Without hesitation, Aditi snatches the knife and plunges it into the witch¡¯s heart. The witch¡¯s scream pierces the air, louder than anything before, her grip on the baby finally loosens. Aditi doesn¡¯t stop, stabbing the witch again and again until her body lies motionless. The room falls silent. The witch¡¯s form begins to disintegrate, her body fading into thin air. Droit, breathing heavily, gently picks up the baby and hands him to Aditi. She cradles her child, her face streaked with tears but alive with relief. The witch is gone. As Aditi cradles her baby, Droit staggers, his legs giving way beneath him. He collapses to the floor, his breath shallow, the edges of his vision blurring. Darkness starts to creep in. He can barely make out the room anymore¡ªjust faint shapes, shadows moving. But then, he sees it. The witch, slowly materializing once more, her form shifting as she reaches out toward him, her intent clear. Summoning what little strength he has left, Droit forces out a whisper to Aditi. "Go¡­ to 2016¡­ at 8 PM," he whispers, barely audible, as he tells her Viha¡¯s address. "You¡¯ll find me there. Tell me¡­ I wasn¡¯t able¡­ to save your baby." Before he can finish his thought, icy breath brushes against his ear, and he hears her voice again¡ªlow and vicious. "Not ripe yet," the witch hisses. With that, everything fades. The world around him vanishes, and Droit is ripped from the present, once again hurled into the past. Droit¡¯s eyes flutter open. He can¡¯t move much, his limbs tiny and weak. He glances down and sees a pair of chubby, infant hands. He¡¯s a six-month-old baby now, lying on a bed between his parents, who are sound asleep. He rolls over, reaching out to touch his mother, and the moment his hand brushes against her, a surge of emotions overwhelms him. Though his mind holds the consciousness of a 22-year-old, his body reacts like a baby¡ªhe starts to cry uncontrollably. The emotions are too raw, too powerful to suppress. His parents stir awake, and his father reaches over to pick him up, gently rocking him until his cries subside. His mother hurries to get some milk, while his father plays with him on the bed, coaxing little giggles from him. Despite the bittersweet joy of the moment, Droit feels a deep sadness knowing this might be the last time he sees his parents. The witch could come for him at any moment. But for now, she remains hidden, and he decides to push the fear aside. For just a little longer, he ignores the looming threat and loses himself in the simple comfort of his parents¡¯ love, savoring every precious second until sleep finally overtakes him. Morning light fills the room as a piercing scream shatters the silence. Droit wakes with a jolt, his tiny heart racing. At the foot of the bed stands the witch, fully materialized, her form looming ominously. His mother is at the doorway, her face pale with terror. "HONEY!" she cries out. Droit¡¯s father bursts into the room, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of the witch. She hisses, her eyes locked on Droit as she starts to climb onto the bed. His father springs into action, rushing to grab Droit first, but with a flick of her hand, the witch sends him crashing into the wall. His mother screams and charges at the witch, shoving her off the bed. Without wasting a second, she scoops Droit up and makes a desperate dash for the door. But the witch is faster. She materializes in front of them, blocking the exit. Droit¡¯s father, regaining his balance, lunges at the witch again, only to be caught by the neck and lifted off the ground. The witch tightens her grip, then turns her gaze toward Droit¡¯s mother, silently demanding the baby in exchange for his father¡¯s life. "NO!" she yells, her voice breaking as tears stream down her face. She clutches Droit tighter, her body trembling. In a last-ditch effort, his father swings a fist at the witch''s midsection, but she barely flinches. Her eyes narrow, and she tightens her hold on his neck, twisting it ever so slightly. He cries out in agony. Seeing her husband¡¯s life slipping away, Droit¡¯s mother rushes forward and strikes at the witch¡¯s arm, managing to loosen her grip. The witch releases him, stumbling back in surprise. "She can''t hurt you!" Droit¡¯s father gasps, his voice hoarse. "You can fight her!" Emboldened, his mother moves to strike again, but the witch vanishes and reappears beside Droit''s father, her intentions clear. She reaches for him once more, but before she can grab him, he pulls a pen from his shirt pocket and stabs it into her neck. It does nothing; the pen simply falls to the floor with a dull thud. The witch smirks, her eyes gleaming with malevolence, and seizes him again. This time, she sinks her sharp, jagged teeth into his chest, tearing away a chunk of flesh and spitting it onto the ground. "No! Please, don¡¯t kill him. I beg you!" Droit''s mother cries, her voice trembling. The witch tilts her head toward Droit, her meaning clear. "Okay! You can take him," his mother says, her voice breaking as she steps toward them. "No! What are you doing?" his father gasps, struggling to speak through his pain. "It¡¯s alright, darling. We can have another baby, but I can¡¯t lose you," she says softly as she approaches. "No! We can have another child, but we can never have another Droit. He is our son," his father pleads, his voice desperate. His mother doesn¡¯t respond. She kneels on the floor, offering Droit to the witch. The witch releases his father, who falls limply to the ground, and reaches for Droit. As she starts to dissolve into a dark mist, preparing to vanish with him, a sudden scream fills the room. The witch materializes abruptly, her body writhing in pain. Droit¡¯s mother has stabbed her with the pen that had fallen on the floor. The witch tries to flee, but his mother is relentless, catching up to her and driving the pen into her again and again. The witch shrieks, thrashing in agony as the blows continue, until finally, the life drains from her form. Droit¡¯s cries fill the room, his tiny body shaking uncontrollably. But as his mother wraps him in her arms, the warmth of her embrace soothes him, and he begins to calm down, safe at last. In his mother''s arms, Droit gazes up at her tear-streaked but beautiful face. His cries soften, and he takes a deep breath of relief. Closing his eyes, he feels an overwhelming peace wash over him¡ªuntil a strange sensation creeps in, as if he¡¯s drowning. His eyes snap open, and the world around him warps. He feels himself being pulled away, drawn into another dimension. He tries to fight it, desperate to stay a little longer in his mother''s embrace, to be with his parents. But it¡¯s no use. The force is too strong. In an instant, he¡¯s torn away and finds himself back in the witch''s dimension, standing once again in front of the ominous painting. A hand taps Droit''s shoulder. He jumps and spins around to see Melnik and the Sage standing behind him. His eyes well up with tears, and before he knows it, Melnik pulls him into a hug. Droit breaks down, sobbing into Melnik¡¯s shoulder. "Hmm, you are something else. Good work," the Sage says with a hint of approval. Droit pulls back, wiping his eyes, and explains everything. "That''s what happened, but I failed. I think the key was with her, and now she''s gone. I¡¯ve wasted a key." "Are you sure about that?" the Sage asks, bending down to pick up a key lying at the foot of the painting. Droit¡¯s eyes widen. "How? It wasn¡¯t there before." "It materialized with you," the Sage explains. "The key can¡¯t exist in other planes without a holder. When you defeated her, it transferred here along with you." Melnik grins, "Seems like you passed the test!" "Let¡¯s get out of here," Droit says, glancing around the eerie apartment one last time. "I don¡¯t want to be here anymore." With that, all three make their way out of the apartment, leaving the dark dimension behind.